Asparagus Risotto
- Tracy Scheckel
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
And, another paper recipe turned foodie food. Today we are all familiar with that rich and creamy dish that may contain mushrooms, seafood, any number of other vegetables, creams, or cheeses. This asparagus risotto version is just the most recent one I've made, but believe me, if it's edible, I've probably cooked it into a risotto.
Growing up, risotto was a staple in our house -- pronounced "ri-ZAWT". I didn't know there was an O at the end until I was like 30 years old. One of these days I'll need to do a blog about how Italians from north Jersey pronounce common Italian food names, but that's for another day. At the risk of totally losing credibility with you all, I am going to share how my mother made risotto and ask that you not judge. Mom would cook up some white rice, cut up some mozzarella, chunk up some Velveeta (remember no judging please), stir everything together with some macaroni gravy, sprinkle with grated Romano and bake it like you'd bake a casserole. Even in hindsight and comparing it to the gourmet risotto we're used to these days, it tasted better than you'd think. Wait until I get our family pasta e fagioli recipe some day.
For this recipe, I decided to play around with pureed asparagus, mainly because I only wanted the pretty tips in my risotto and didn't want to waste the stalks. That turned out to be a pretty good idea. The knack for making risotto is to gradually add liquid as the rice cooks and stir almost constantly to avoid scorching. Whenever I make risotto, I start out with a quart of whatever broth I'm using -- adding it gradually. Sometimes I end up using it all and others, the rice seems to cook to a perfect doneness with less liquid.
THE RECIPE:
1 C arborio rice
1 bunch of asparagus
2T olive oil
1 small onion diced
2 cloves roasted garlic (smash into the saute) or minced garlic to saute with the onion
1/2 C grape tomatoes sliced lengthwise
1/2 C white wine
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C heavy cream
1 C grated parmesan
Salt / Pepper to taste
In a stock pot, heat the olive oil until shimmery and add the onion and garlic to saute until the onion begins to caramelize.
Stir in the rice to coat with the seasoned oil and add 1-1/2 cups of broth and simmer on low stirring often.
Cut the asparagus into 1" sections and set the tops aside and discard the woody ends.
Blanch the stalk pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain.
Combine the blanched stalks, lemon juice, wine and 1/2C of broth in the blender and puree.
As the rice begins to soften add the asparagus puree, tomatoes, and cream and stir to combine.
Toward the end, add asparagus tops
Continue simmering until rice is al dente and almost all the liquid is absorbed.
Let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes
Stir in 1/2 of the cheese
Serve with extra cheese and cracked pepper.
