Lemon Asparagus Risotto Recipe
Nora Rušev | Savory NothingsLemon Asparagus Risotto is an inspired spring dinner you can whip up in one pot in less than an hour - perfect for entertaining, or as a special meal for the family. Try it this weekend - you won’t regret it!
I’ve been obsessing about a handful of things lately: Velvet tufted chairs. Crazy tropical wallpaper. Asparagus risotto. You know, just your average stuff.
Leaving velvet tufted chairs and palm leaf wallpaper aside for a minute, let’s talk about the really important part of my admittedly small list: The lemon asparagus risotto.
It. is. pure food bliss. Pinky promise.
I know, I know. Risotto sounds intimidating. But it’s absolutely not and I believe in you. You can do it.
Interrupting our regularly scheduled program for a few risotto facts:
What risotto is not:
- Overcooked rice
- Thick, gloopy and mushy
- Full of cream and fat
What risotto is:
- Al dente rice in a creamy, starchy sauce
- Decidedly not thick. It should be creamy and “run away” on the plate. Aka it should spread when you plate it up.
- The creaminess of risotto should mainly come from the starch the rice releases as it cooks in just-enough liquid. I have less than 1 tablespoon of oil/butter per portion in my recipe, and there’s a very moderate amount of cheese. No food coma after this meal!
Right, after we got our facts straight, on to the very delicious flavors in this spring-y dish:
There’s asparagus. I know. Obviously. But also snap peas, actual peas and a lot of tangy zing from both lemon zest and lemon juice. I looooove lemon in risotto - see my lemon thyme risotto with taleggio!
Then I went 2% crazy with the toppings. Usually I don’t believe in anything but freshly cracked black pepper and parmesan to go on top of risotto. (Maybe a few slices of truffle, if that’s your thing? Idk, I have bad pregnancy-related experiences with the stuff.)
But I decided to start challenging every self-inflicted status quo, so I experimented a bit. And found the holy grail for this recipe: Crème fraîche and a delicious, magnificent and extraordinarily simple herb sauce slash fake pesto.
Basically you’re going to blitz a bunch of herbs with salt and olive oil. I know, so simple, right? But there’s something magical about this combination.
It’s so fresh and sharp and salty against the cool creaminess of the crème fraîche. It’ll do wonders to your lemon asparagus risotto, so don’t even dare skipping it.
Also, not even kidding. But this would make for a perfect side dish to go along my fave whole baked fish. Or, I mean, you can make baked meatballs if the thought of your food staring back at you creeps you out.
I’ll let you get away with that as long as you hit me up with your best velvet tufted chair recs. Keep ‘em coming, preferably pink or green. Thank you.
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Lemon Asparagus Risotto Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Herb Sauce:- 1/2 cup Mint Leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
- 6 cups Chicken Stock, hot
- 1 bunch Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup Sugar Snap Peas, trimmed
- 1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed
- 1 teaspoon Grated Lemon Zest
- 1/2 cup Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Crème Fraîche, to serve
Directions
Make the Sauce:
- Place the mint, parsley, sea salt and olive oil in a mini food processor and pulse until just combined. Set aside.
Make the Risotto:
- Sauté onion and rice: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook until translucent, about 1 minute.
- Deglaze: Pour the wine over the rice, stirring constantly. Cook about 30 seconds or until evaporated.
- Cook the rice: Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock, stirring, and simmer until it's almost completely absorbed by the rice. Continue adding 1/2 cup stock like this until the rice is creamy and al dente, about 20 minutes total (you may have stock leftover).
- Add the asparagus and snap peas after about 10 minutes of cooking.
- Season: Once the rice is done, take the pot off the heat. Add the peas, lemon zest, lemon juice and stir well.
- Add the parmesan and butter on top of the rice and gently push down (no stirring yet). Cover the pot with a lid and leave it to stand for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir well.
- Eat: Serve with the herb and olive oil sauce, crème fraîche, salt and pepper and extra parmesan.
Recommended
- Published:
- Modified:
- Author:
- Nora Rušev
- Cooking Method:
- Simmered
- Cuisine:
- Italian
- Category:
- Farm to Table
- Tags:
- Farm to Table, Spring, Easy Dinners, Dinners, Italian, Rice, Lemons, Asparagus, Parmesan Cheese, Simmered
- Related Recipes:
- Farm to Table Recipes, Spring Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Italian Recipes, Rice Recipes, Lemon Recipes, Asparagu Recipes, Parmesan Cheese Recipes, Simmered Recipes
- Recipe Yields:
- 4 servings
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Total Time:
- Related Post:
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Published:
Author: Nora Rušev
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
