Lemon Asparagus Risotto Recipe

Lemon 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

FAQ: Is risotto gluten-free? Find out now!

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

Nora Rušev

Lemon 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!

3 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 234 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 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

Instructions

 

• Place the mint, parsley, sea salt and olive oil in a mini food processor and pulse until just combined. Set aside.
• 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 1900mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2g

Keyword Asparagus, Dinners, Easy Dinners, Farm to Table, Italian, Lemons, Parmesan Cheese, Rice, Simmered, Spring

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