Spring Vegetable Risotto
This lovely, easy risotto recipe has spring written all over it with artichokes, asparagus, peas and a touch of lemon! Best of all, you don't need to stand at the stove stirring it because it bakes in the oven while you do other things. Serve as an elegant side, or with a few tweaks, a lovely vegetarian main dish!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken broth or as needed
- 1 bunch asparagus (approximately 1 pound) tough ends trimmed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese divided, plus more for serving
- 1 box (10-ounce) frozen artichoke hearts thawed, patted dry and halved widthwise
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the asparagus into 1 1/2-inch pieces, leaving the tips approximately 3 inches long.
- Place the broth in a saucepan and gently warm it up. (It doesn't have to be simmering, just not cold or room temperature). Alternatively, heat it in a microwave-safe container in the microwave.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large oven-safe skillet or shallow Dutch oven over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Add the asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bright green, keeping the tips separate from the rest of the stalk pieces as much as possible. Transfer to a plate to cool, keeping the tips and stems separated.
- Add the remaining oil and butter to the oven-safe skillet, keeping the heat at medium-high. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4-5 minutes or until beginning to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook 10-15 seconds or until fragrant.
- Add the rice and coat with the fat. Cook, frequently stirring for 2-3 minutes or until most of the grains are translucent.
- Add the dry white wine. Bring to a boil and cook until most of the wine has evaporated.
- Add 4 cups of the warmed broth, lemon juice and zest. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, stir, cover and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. (The rice should be slightly underdone.)
- Stir the risotto. It will look a little "tight," but the final addition of broth will loosen it up and make it creamy.
- Return the pot to the stove on low heat. Stir in 1 cup of the remaining broth more or as needed, mascarpone cheese, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and half the parsley. Add the artichoke hearts, peas and asparagus stems.
- Top with the asparagus tips and remaining Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTION: Use broth instead and add a bit more lemon juice if desired, or use aloe vera juice with lemon.
- To determine how much to trim asparagus, bend one of the stalks near the bottom until it breaks. It breaks where you should cut the remainder, as they’re all typically the same size in the bunch and were probably growing next to each other.
- Although you should measure the amount of broth that initially goes into the risotto, it’s a consistency you’re after, which is loose and creamy, so you’ll need to judge how much to add at the end.
- Serve risotto in heated bowls so it stays warm and creamy longer.
- Can be done ahead using a restaurant trick, but not if you’re doing it in the oven as in this risotto recipe. If you do it on the stovetop, place a rimmed sheet pan in your freezer to get it good and cold. When the rice is about 75% cooked, still has a chalky raw center, and you haven’t added all the broth or any cheese, butter, or cream, remove it from the heat and spread it onto the super cold sheet pan. Let it cool completely and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to serve, place it back into the pan and resume cooking with hot broth.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1087IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 4mg