Name: Asparagus Risotto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 200 g Arborio rice400 g fresh asparagus, including the stalks30 g Parmesan cheese50 g onion1 tablespoon butter500 ml vegetable stockSaltNutmeg

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A light spring and summer Italian recipe, asparagus risotto is surprisingly easy to make. The most important thing is to use vegetable stock rather than water, as it gives the risotto much more flavor.

You can steam the asparagus or boil it in water. If boiling, it is best to use a small saucepan and keep the asparagus tips above the water. The tips cook much faster than the stalks and can easily become too soft.

Italian recipe of risotto with asparagus

Asparagus Risotto

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course First dish

Cuisine Italian

Equipment

Ingredients

200 g Arborio rice400 g fresh asparagus, including the stalks30 g Parmesan cheese50 g onion1 tablespoon butter500 ml vegetable stockSaltNutmeg

Instructions

First, prepare the vegetable stock.
Trim about 4–5 cm from the base of the asparagus, as this part is usually tough. Cut off the asparagus tips (photo 1). Since they cook faster than the stalks, they will be cooked separately.
Cut the stalks into pieces about ½ cm thick and steam them for about 5 minutes (photo 2). They should remain slightly crisp. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion (photo 3).
Heat the butter in a large pan. Once melted, add an equal amount of olive oil (photo 4). Add the onion (photo 5) and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft and slightly translucent.
Add the steamed asparagus stalks (photo 6). Stir and cook for about 1 minute, then add the rinsed rice (photo 7). Increase the heat slightly. Stir continuously, allowing any excess moisture to evaporate and the rice to become slightly translucent.
As the risotto cooks, monitor the amount of liquid and add more stock as needed (photo 10).
The rice will take approximately 20 minutes to cook, although you should also check the cooking time indicated on the package, as some varieties may only require 18 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, steam the asparagus tips in the now-empty steamer (photo 11). Grate the Parmesan cheese using the finest side of a grater (photo 12).
When the risotto is ready, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and a small piece of butter (photo 13). Mix well, cover with a lid, and let it rest for 1 minute. Serve the risotto on plates and arrange the asparagus tips on top (photo 14).