Simple and genuine, asparagus risotto is the dish that best enhances the full-bodied and unmistakable taste of these tasty spring vegetables. To make the dish creamier, in addition to the typical creaming with butter and grated cheese, a must in risottos, we have created a smooth and velvety cream of asparagus. For cooking the rice we used a vegetable broth enriched with asparagus stems, a clever and clever reuse of waste that will give an even more aromatic risotto! Let's get to cooking...
The Recipe
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients: Riso Carnaroli 320 g Fresh Green Asparagus 750g Parmesan Cheese 50g Butter 50g Shallot 1 pc Extra Virgin Olive Oil 3 tbs Salt & Pepper, to taste | For the Stock 2 Carrots 1 Celery 1 White Onion 2 lt Water Salt & Pepper, to taste |
Step 1: Preparing the Vegetables
To prepare risotto with asparagus, start by cleaning the asparagus: remove the hardest part of the asparagus with your hands, which you will use for the broth. Cut off the asparagus tips that will serve to garnish the risotto and cut the rest of the asparagus into thin rounds.
Wash the vegetables for the broth, then cut the celery, carrots and onion into coarse pieces.
Step Two: The Broth
Pour the vegetables into a saucepan, add the hard stems of the asparagus that you have kept aside.
Cover with water and, starting with cold water, cook for at least half an hour from boiling.
Meanwhile...
Peel and finely chop the shallot. Sauté for a few minutes with a drizzle of oil, add half of your asparagus rounds, cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, season with salt and cover with a ladle of broth. Now let it cook for about 5 minutes with a lid. Then let it cool.
Blanch the asparagus tips in salted water for a couple of minutes. Cool them in water and ice, so that they keep a nice bright color and remain crunchy.
Meanwhile, the asparagus rounds will have cooled down - blend them with 15 g of oil. You will have to obtain a smooth and beautiful green cream.
Step Three: The Risotto
Now you have all the components to start cooking the risotto: in a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil. Toast the rice for 3-4 minutes adding a pinch of salt.
Pour in the broth until the rice is covered and continue cooking, adding as needed. About halfway through cooking, add the remaining slices of asparagus and continue cooking the risotto, adding salt if necessary. Set aside a couple of tablespoons of cream.
When there are 2-3 minutes left before the risotto is cooked, add the rest of the cream. After cooking, let it rest covered for two minutes. Mantecate with butter, the grated cheese. Add a grind of pepper, a drizzle of oil and the remaining cream of asparagus, stir vigorously. Serve the asparagus risotto piping hot, garnishing the dishes with the asparagus tips kept aside.
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With love,
Carlo