Winter, summer, spring or fall. Whatever the season I can dig a big dish of risotto. This asparagus risotto recipe is simple to make, contrary to what most people think. Enjoy every stir and spoonful!
We’re going to add the asparagus towards the end of the recipe, so I cut these into small circular pieces so they cook faster. You can even peel the bottom stems if you’d like a little more assurance they’ll cook in time. You can blanch them if you’d like, but you’ll do just fine either way.
The key to a good risotto is to keep the chicken broth warm as you ladle it into the rice. It’s an easy thing thing to do, so make sure you don’t skip this step. It’ll make all the difference in the end.
You can cook risotto in a straight-sided skillet or saute pan, but I prefer to cook it in wok. I usually make 2 cups of arborio rice when I make risotto to make sure I have enough for the entire family.
How do you know when you’re risotto is done?
Two methods I recently learned about are the spoon test and the smear test. Run your stirring spoon through the risotto in a straight line through the wok and when it slowly returns back to form, it’s done. Also take a grain of the rice and smear it on your countertop. It should be fairly easy to smear, but not to hard or easy.
Tools I used in this recipe:
- Calphalon Wok
- Red Copper Pasta Pot
- Pyrex Measuring Cup
- Pyrex Custard Cup
Recipe
Asparagus Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- ½ cup shallot chopped
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup white wine dry, crisp
- 8 oz asparagus chopped into small circles - stems removed or peeled and chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot, warm the chicken broth. KeepWarm throughout cooking.
- In a large skillet or wok, heat the butter and cook the shallot for 1-2 minutes until soft.
- Add the rice, mixing until all the rice is fully covered by the butter. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine, mixing frequency until all the wine is absorbed by the rice.
- Once the wine is absorbed, add the warm chicken broth 1-2 ladles at a time until the rice is covered by the liquid. Stir pretty continuously until all the broth is absorbed by the rice.
- Repeat the ladling/mixing of the broth until all the broth is gone.
- On the last ladle of broth, also add the asparagus to the pan.
- Once the last ladle of broth is absorbed, add the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese. Mix altogether until warm.
- Serve hot in a bowl. Top with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
About The Skinny Guinea
Hey...how you doin'? I'm Tommy, The Skinny Guinea…just a busy dad who loves to cook. Offering easy to cook dinners and family friendly recipes, while always staying true to my Italian roots!
Hey Goombah...I'm da cook at home too. Just found your website looking for Asparagus Risotto recipes. Fuggedaboutit! Buon Appetito!
Ciao amico. Nice to hear you're also holding it down in la cucina! Hope you enjoyed the risotto. Buon appetito!
Love the idea of risotto and asparagus, so delicious