Healthy Recipes
Asparagus and Lemon Risotto
Ingredients:
1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ½ cups Arborio rice*
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed off and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup dry white wine
4-5 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 Tablespoon butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat chicken broth in sauce pan over medium high heat, until just about to boil. Turn down heat to medium and keep chicken broth warm while making the risotto.
Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus. Bring a medium or large pot of salted water to a boil. Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until barely tender. While asparagus is cooking, fill a large bowl with ice water. After asparagus have cooked for 2-3 minutes, transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice bath. Allow to cool in the ice bath for a few minutes, drain asparagus and set aside.
Heat large sauté pan over medium high heat. When hot, add olive oil and onion. Sautee for 2 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently so that garlic doesn’t burn. Add Arborio rice, cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Rice should become translucent. Turn down heat to just above medium. Add white wine and stir continuously for 2-3 minutes, or until almost all of the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
Using a large ladle, add 1 ladle-full of warm chicken stock to the rice. Stir continuously until almost all of the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process (adding 1 ladle-full of warm stock to the rice, stirring until almost all liquid is absorbed). After 15 minutes, stir in the blanched asparagus and continue to add stock and stir for another 10-15 minutes. After the risotto has been cooking for 25-30 minutes, rice should be tender but still firm, and the mixture should be thick and creamy. Remove from heat.
Stir in 1 Tablespoon butter, ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest and juice, and fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
*Arborio rice is special Italian rice that is quite starchy. When cooked using the risotto method, Arborio rice absorbs the chicken stock and slowly releases its starch into the mixture, which allows the risotto to become thick and creamy. You can find Arborio rice in most grocery stores as well as at specialty Italian markets.
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