A Fresh Dish for Spring

If you have never tried risotto, I think it’s a must.  It’s delicious and a great way for us to change up lunch from our typical pasta dishes.  Since this has been our first week of spring weather I wanted to make a spring risotto with beautiful seasonal asparagus.

Risotto with fresh asparagus

My mom used to make this for us a lot as a kid growing up in the spring and summer, so I was excited to make this for Greg and Julia.  I was pretty happy with how this dish turned out.  I served with a fresh salad of fennel and our meal was complete.  Even Julia ate a huge plate.  This dish is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables. I hope to post some other risotto recipes soon (like pasta, there are many different ways to introduce new flavors).  I hope your enjoy this as much as we did. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Olive oil
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 9 palms of arborio rice (2 palms of rice per person, with one extra for good measure).  This is roughly 2 cups of rice
• 2 cups of asparagus, pre-cooked (best to blanch to preserve color and texture).  Cut into 1" pieces
• 1/2 - 1 cup of white wine (depending on taste/quality of wine)
• About 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese and then additional cheese for the table and garnish
• 1/3 stick of butter
• Salt to taste

Fresh ingredients

Directions

Heat chicken stock in a pot.

On a separate burner, heat olive oil in a large flat pan with high sides.  Add onion until it is softened and translucent.  While the onion is cooking, add a dash of salt. This could take a little over 5 minutes.  Don’t allow the onions to brown.

Cook onions

Add the rice and mix together. Stir until the rice is toasted (but not brown) about 3-4 minutes.

Add the rice and continue to stir

Add wine and continue to cook the rice.  After a minute, add a ladle or two of the stock, stirring the rice continuously until the liquid is absorbed.  Continue stirring and ladling the broth for approximately 15 minutes.  Be sure to taste as you go and add salt accordingly.  The rice should be al dente and creamy.

Ladle in the stock

Before you add your last ladle or two of stock, add the asparagus and stir into the rice. 

Remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmesan cheese.  Cover and allow pan to sit for 5 minutes.

Add the asparagus...

…and cover

Serve right away and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

PLEASE NOTE – Cooking risotto requires constant attention.  Make sure the table is set and everything else you are serving is ready before you begin the rice.  I have made that mistake before!