Double Asparagus Risotto
photo by Tea Jenny
- Ready In:
- 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 lemon, zest of
- 1⁄4 cup pine nuts
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli or other)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or 1/4 cup romano cheese
- salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
directions
- Steam asparagus in 1 cup chicken broth.
- When asparagus is tender, set aside tips.
- Combine remaining asparagus with broth used to steam asparagus.
- Add lemon zest.
- Puree asparagus, steaming liquid and lemon zest together. A stick blender is ideal for this, but a blender works just fine.
- Set aside processed asparagus, broth and zest.
- Heat remaining broth in saucepan or microwave.
- In deep skillet or saucier, toast pine nuts, then remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in same pan.
- Saute onion, carrot and garlic 3-5 minutes, over low heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, until onions are translucent and carrots are softened; do not brown vegetables.
- Stir in rice.
- Saute another 3-5 minutes, stirring, until rice is covered with oil and glistening.
- Still over medium heat, add heated broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring almost constantly and adding more broth as each previous addition is absorbed.
- When all of broth has been added, add asparagus-broth-lemon zest puree, 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is tender and almost all liquid has been absorbed.
- It will take 20-30 minutes to incorporate all liquid - your patience will be rewarded!
- Gently fold in reserved asparagus tips and toasted pine nuts.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in butter and parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
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Reviews
-
Pureeing half the asparagus with the chicken broth is such a nice touch! Instead of adding the puree along with the cheese at the end, i added the parmesan (and fontina and about a tbsp of lite cream cheese) to the asparagus broth puree and then added it all to the risotto at the end. I am excited to make this again for company!
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I have never made a risotto before so this was a first for me, and I wasn't disappointed, I have had bad results cooking asparagus before, and it was inedible, but I am very pleased to say that I have conquered my fear of asparagus and risotto. It was outstanding, when my DH saw me making it he said I don't like asparagus and I said give it a try, and as it was cooking he kind of went Mmmm, that smells good! so we now have a convert, he said he was pleasantly surprised, and had a second helping and said he would give you ten out of ten if he could. Thank you for a very good recipe. Made for PAC spring 2009.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
KrisLady
Rochester, New York