Spring has sprung which means it’s asparagus pee season (Do you have the asparagus anosmia gene? Only 40% do.). Asparagus prices have dropped enough not to be offensive so we’re eating it every which way while we can.
The creamy texture and taste of risotto has ability to tame the bold, sometimes assertive flavor of asparagus, coaxing out its gentle sweetness. Do you have non-vegetable eaters at home? Try risotto this way – it’s mild enough for even children to enjoy.
Try my other risotto recipes as well:
Arliano Update (Aggiornamento Arliano):
Week-long rains are back in Tuscany, but thankfully our garden was plowed before it started. Now it’s a lesson in patience as we wait for the soil to dry a bit before we can lay out the vegetable garden irrigation lines and plant our first batch of seeds and seedlings (onions, leeks, and the first round of zucchini). Our other fields will be cut in a few weeks but in the meantime, we’re enjoying the dramatic carpet of yellow and pink flowering weeds.
Inside the rental house we’re focused on cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning the construction dust, which mysteriously stays in the air for weeks. Just when you think the floors are spotless, the mop water looks muddy again. Progress is being made, however, with headboards, coat racks and mirrors all hung on to the thick plaster walls. It’s finely looking like a charming country cottage just about to welcome its first guests, mid-May.
___________________________
Did you enjoy reading or making the recipe from this post? If so, please consider giving it a “like” or a comment. It would be nice to know you are out there and that my posts connect with you.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups arborio, baldo or carnaroli rice (NOTE: It must be one of these rices specifically grown for risotto. Regular rice will not work)
- 1 pound (16 ounces) medium thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed and disgarded
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 large garlic clove, or two small cloves, finely minced
- 5 cups (1,185 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup (177 ml) dry white wine
- 1 cup (about 3 ounces) grated Parmesan, Grana Padano or Pecorino cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (not iodized table salt), more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and boil for four (4) minutes. While the water is boiling prepare a large bowl with ice water. After four (four) minutes, drain the asparagus and place them into the bowl of ice water. Once they have cooled, remove the asparagus to a clean dry dishtowel and pat dry. Except for 8 spears, chop the rest into bite sized pieces and set them aside. The 8 spears will be used as garnish
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until translucent, about seven minutes
- Add the rice to the sauté pan with the onions and stir while cooking for approximately 3-5 minutes until the rice becomes translucent. Add the minced garlic at the last minute
- While the rice is sautéing, in a medium saucepan, heat the vegetable or chicken broth until simmering. Keep it simmering throughout the rest of the cooking process (alternatively, you can microwave the broth for each addition to the pan)
- Add the white wine to the rice and simmer and stir until the wine is nearly evaporated
- Add one ladle (about a 3/4 cup) of broth at a time to the rice and simmer and stir until the broth is nearly evaporated (See the headnote photo. Using a wooden spoon, make a path in the risotto. The path should stay in place for a few seconds. That’s when you know to add more broth). NOTE: Adding the broth a little at a time allows the rice to slowly release its starch, which makes it creamy. If you put all the broth in at once the rice reacts differently and you won’t have a nice, creamy risotto. Continue to add the broth a ladle at a time until you have used all of it. This process should take about 30 – 40 minutes. Taste a few grains of rice for doneness. Continue simmering and stirring until the rice is creamy, not watery. Mix in the chopped asparagus and lemon juice (if adding) when you have used up the majority of the broth
- With the heat turned off, stir in the butter and grated cheese until fully incorporated. Serve with a little extra cheese, a swirl of fresh olive oil, and two asparagus spears on top of each bowl
Greg Nelson Cooks 
One thought