Description
Velvety arborio rice cooked slowly with white wine and broth, featuring tender asparagus spears and finished with Parmesan. A restaurant-quality vegetarian main or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (keep warm)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ cups (300g) arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
Instructions
- Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces, reserving tips. Blanch stalks in boiling water 2 minutes, add tips for final 30 seconds. Drain and shock in ice water.
- Heat oil in large pan over medium. Cook shallot 3 minutes until soft. Add garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add rice; toast 2 minutes until translucent edges appear. Pour in wine; stir until absorbed.
- Add warm broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until absorbed before adding more (18-20 minutes total).
- When rice is al dente, stir in 2 tbsp butter, Parmesan, lemon zest/juice, and asparagus to heat through.
- Season with salt/pepper. Garnish with remaining butter, parsley, and extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Pro Tip: Keep broth at a simmer – cold broth stops cooking
- For vegan version: Use nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan
- Add ½ cup peas with asparagus for spring variation
- Leftovers make excellent arancini (risotto balls)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main/Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1¼ cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 25mg