Asparagus season is here and we couldn’t be more excited!
Risotto has been a popular dish in our family for a long time and my memories of it date back to when my grandmother would prepare this dreamy, luscious, soft asparagus risotto.
Even though I couldn’t get my hands on local asparagus quite yet, I wanted to get a head start and taste the upcoming Spring in my kitchen!
With a few special tips, you can make a risotto that’s so good that you’ll think you’re in your favorite restaurant in Italy! 🙂
Tip: Riso carnaroli tai riso vialone nano are the best risotto options. They are not too hard or too soft, perfectly al dente!
Asparagus Risotto
For 4 people:
300g asparagus
300g risotto rice
1 l vegetable broth
1dl white wine
2 small shallots
2 tbsp butter
5 tbsp parmesan cheese
salt
black pepper
Asparagus:
Peel the asparagus and remove the stem.
Boil in salted water for about 3 minutes.
Tip! Asparagus cooks well in the oven as well.
Peel the asparagus and remove the stem.
Flavor with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cook them in the oven at 170°C for 10-15 minutes.
Cut off the buds and save them for decoration purposes, then cut the rest of the asparagus into 1cm bits, which you will add to the risotto later.
Risotto:
Heat the vegetable broth in a separate pot.
Dice the onion and give them some color on a pan with oil and butter on medium heat.
Add the risotto rice and cook on high heat until the rice is translucent. This is a crucial step, as it prevents overcooking the surface of the rice.
Stir continuously.
Add the white wine and stir until the rice has soaked it all up.
Add the heated up broth little by little, until the texture is soft and luscious. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
Add the parmesan cheese.
Flavor with black pepper to your liking.
Tip: Add a little bit of butter at the end to brighten the flavor.
Serve with cooked asparagus.
If you have any other lovely veggies, go ahead and add them to the oven next to the asparagus.
Our fridge usually has some cauliflower, which is great because it preserves for a long time and you can make all kinds of side dishes out of it. It’s great with soups, lentils, salads, and other veggies!
Mix the cauliflower in a bowl with oil, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add some sunflower seeds and other seeds of your liking. Cook in the oven with the asparagus.
Pair this dish with a Northern Italian Lugana white wine.
Buon appetito!
Cristina
