Are you scared of risotto? I don’t mean scared to eat it, of course. But do you find the idea of preparing risotto intimidating? Because I used to be scared to make this creamy rice dish and always just waited for it to appear on the menu at one of my mom’s Sunday dinners. But I’ll let you in on a little secret…it’s not hard to make at all. I swear! It’s a little time consuming, and a little labor intensive so don’t try this Asparagus and Lemon Risotto recipe when you need to get your kids to a practice or a game in 20 minutes. However, on a night when you have a little time, you’ve got to try your hand at making risotto…I promise it’s worth the effort!
Cooking risotto really only requires two basic steps: briefly toasting the rice and then adding the broth, cup by cup and stirring. Beyond those two steps, you can create endless flavor combinations by mixing in different ingredients. For this recipe, chopped and blanched asparagus pair with fresh lemon juice and zest to make one of my favorite risotto dishes. It’s best to have any ingredients you’ll be mixing into your risotto prepped and ready to go, so that you won’t have to walk away once you get cooking. You’ll also need to prepare your cooking liquid (this recipe uses vegetable broth) ahead of time by heating it and keeping it warm.
A Tip!
It is important to have all the ingredients measured and prepared before you start cooking the risotto. Also, be sure to use Arborio rice, which has a higher starch content and contributes to the texture of the risotto.
For this Asparagus and Lemon Risotto, first blanch the chopped asparagus: place it in a large pot of boiling water for about two minutes, then remove it to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Also juice and zest your lemon so that it’s ready to go. Both the 3 in 1 Prep and Measure and the Better Zester from Kitchen IQ made this step a breeze!
Then in a medium size pot coated with cooking spray, melt a tablespoon of butter and saute sliced leeks about 5 minutes. Stir in the arborio rice and toss to cook, about 2 minutes, making sure to get all the rice coated with the butter. Add some fresh lemon juice and cook another minute more.
Now, here’s where risotto earns it’s reputation for being difficult. You must add the heated vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time and stir the risotto until the liquid is absorbed before adding any more broth. The process takes about 2o minutes to complete. But I’ll tell you what…grab a glass of wine (or tea or coffee) and take that 20 minutes to just chill out and stir. Someone’s calling you from the playroom? “Sorry, I’m stirring the risotto!” The table still needs to be set? “Hey, come set the table because I can’t walk away from the risotto!” Brilliant, right? I’m not going to blame you if you start making risotto every. single. night. just to get that sweet 20 minutes with your wine!
After you’ve added all the liquid and the rice becomes thickened and creamy, remove the pot from heat and stir in the asparagus, some Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!
Congrats to the winner of the Kitchen IQ tools, the Better Zester and 3 in 1 Prep and Measure tool, and the Pizza and Herb Tool! 
- 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces
- 1 c. sliced leeks
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tps. lemon zest
- 4 c. vegetable broth
- 1 T. butter
- 1 c. Arborio rice
- 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- First blanch the chopped asparagus: place it in a large pot of boiling water for about two minutes, then remove it to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Juice and zest lemon.
- Place vegetable broth in medium sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.
- In a medium size pot coated with cooking spray, melt tablespoon of butter and saute leeks, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the Arborio rice and toss to cook, about 2 minutes, making sure all the rice is coated with the butter. Add the lemon juice and cook another minute more.
- Next, add heated vegetable broth, 1/2 cup at a time and stir the risotto until the liquid is absorbed before each addition. The process takes about 2o minutes to complete, and rice should be creamy and tender.
- Remove from heat and stir in asparagus, Parmesan and lemon zest. Salt and pepper to taste.
The Preserves Project may or may not have received the same product or compensation for the giveaway post. The opinions on the product are solely that of The Preserves Project and are in no way influenced by the Sponsor or company or by any other party. All opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will end June 10, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.
YUMMMM!!!! I’ve never made risotto but am really excited to try soon – I feel confident thanks to your awesome recipe and tips!! xo
The giveaway entry form is not showing up. I use Chrome but also tried it in IE and Firefox. I’d love to win this zester.
I really love using asparagus in a lot of my meals. Thanks for the recipe! Your recipe looks so tasty 🙂
This looks good. I am getting more into asparagus
Hmm have to say i was always afraid of risotto (it already sounds complicated!) but you took away some of that fear, this looks amazing!
This looks amazing! I just bought some asparagus to try and cook (I can’t get past the texture sometimes), I will have to try this recipe! <3
This looks delicious! My family loves asparagus so I know my kids would even enjoy this!
This sounds heavenly!!
This is one of my absolute favorite dishes, I love to make risotto. You’re tips about having everything prepped are so helpful. Also, that 3 in one juicer needs to get in my kitchen immediately; so handy! Can’t wait to try your recipe out.
I love risotto and this is perfect since asparagus is in season right now!
Nellwyn | http://www.thecardinalpress.com
Yum, asparagus and lemon are some of my favorite ingredients in meals! Never thought of using risotto. Thanks for the delicious idea! 🙂
Any time I can cook with asparagus, I’m a game. It’s my favorite recipe and I find that I often make the same dishes. This is a new one to add to our menu.
This looks delicious! Reminds me of a dish I used to order at a restaurant in our old city. This would be delicious on its own or as a side to seafood like lobster or salmon!