Risotto With Asparagus And Pesto Recipes

SPRING RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the pot and blanch, just until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking, about 30 seconds. Transfer the asparagus to a colander to drain. Repeat with the English peas, sugar snap peas, and fiddleheads.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté just until translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute.
• Stir the wine into the rice, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring periodically, until the rice absorbs the wine, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup/240ml stock and 2 teaspoons salt, return to a simmer, and let cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Spread the rice mixture on a baking sheet and set aside until you are ready to finish the dish, or skip this step and keep cooking, continuing with adding the hot stock.
• About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, return the rice mixture to the sauté pan and cook over medium heat. Stir 1 cup/240ml of the hot stock into the rice mixture and cook until the moisture has been nearly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining 3 cups/720ml of stock, adding 1 cup/240ml at a time. When you still see liquid pooling here and there in the pan, remove from the heat and stir in the blanched vegetables and the Parmesan. Quickly stir in the pesto and serve.
• Store risotto, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Do Ahead
• To prepare the risotto ahead of time, cook the vegetables and the rice up until you add the wine and 1 cup/240ml of stock. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, spread the rice and onion mixture on a baking sheet to hold until you're ready to finish cooking. Just before dinner, return the rice to the pot and resume cooking until done.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Snap each stalk where it breaks naturally; reserve 4 of the peeled bottoms for crostini (below). Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and place the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes. (You should have about half the broth left.) Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the lettuce, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

LEMON RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PEAS

Steps:

• Bring stock to a boil in a medium saucepan; turn off heat.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in another medium saucepan. Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, until edges of grains are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high. Add wine; cook, stirring constantly, until wine has completely evaporated.
• Add 1/2 cup stock; cook, stirring constantly, until stock has been completely absorbed and a wooden spoon drawn through rice leaves a trail in its wake. Continue adding about 4 more cups stock, 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. (It should take about 13 minutes.)
• Stir in the asparagus. Add 1/2 to 1 cup more stock, in same manner as described above. About 1 minute before risotto is done, stir in the peas. Risotto is done when liquid looks creamy and grains are cooked but still slightly firm in centers. (The total cooking time will be 16 to 20 minutes.)
• Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup stock. (You may have stock left over.) Stir in zest, juice, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, parsley, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more cheese.

LEMON ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add asparagus, cover, and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• Heat chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat; keep at a simmer while preparing risotto.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and celery until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in garlic and arborio rice; cook and stir until rice is lightly toasted, about 5 more minutes.
• Pour white wine into rice mixture, stirring constantly, until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir chicken broth into rice, one ladleful at a time, allowing liquid to absorb completely before adding more while stirring constantly, about 20 minutes. Add asparagus and stir.
• Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest. Serve immediately.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place asparagus in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking sheet. Bake, uncovered at 400° until crisp- tender, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes., Meanwhile, place prosciutto in another ungreased baking pan. Bake at 400° until crisp, 10-12 minutes. Crumble prosciutto; set aside prosciutto and asparagus., In a large saucepan, heat broth and keep warm. In a large skillet, saute shallot and garlic in oil until tender. Add rice; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat; stir in the wine, pepper and salt. Cook and stir until all the liquid is absorbed., Add heated broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender, 20 minutes., Add the asparagus, prosciutto and cheese; cook and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

PESTO RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In small food processor bowl, place the parsley, green onions and pesto.
• Pulse until well combined.
• Set aside.
• In medium pot, bring stock to a boil.
• Cook leeks in stock for about 4 minutes.
• Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Set aside.
• Keep stock on low simmer.
• In large pot, over medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the rice until well coated.
• Add the wine and cook until almost absorbed.
• Add 2 cups of the stock and continue to simmer until almost absorbed.
• Continue this process until rice is cooked and creamy.
• Add the leeks, ham, asparagus, Parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup of the pesto.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Lastly stir in the cheese balls.
• Serve immediately in hot serving bowls and top with remaining pesto.

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet, heat three tablespoons butter and add the shallots. Cook until soft. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains become opaque and are thoroughly coated with the butter.
• Turn up heat and add white wine, stirring continuously. When evaporated, add hot chicken stock a ladle at a time and keep rice at a gentle simmer, stirring all the time.
• Cut the asparagus into one-inch slices on the diagonal. When the rice is still slightly hard in the middle (after about 15 minutes), stir in the asparagus and continue cooking, ladling in more stock, until the rice is al dente. It should be creamy, a little chewy but firm to the bite. Add the peas to the mixture about three minutes before the end of cooking.
• Off heat, stir in remaining tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle risotto with crumbled ricotta salata. Freshly grated Parmesan may be passed at the table.

ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

Steps:

• Snap the woody ends off the asparagus stalks and tip them into a saucepan with the stock. Put on a low heat to very gently simmer. Meanwhile, cut off the tips of the asparagus, add to the stock for exactly 1 min. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Finely slice the rest of the stalks into rounds.
• Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy, wide pan. Cook the onions gently for 5 mins until soft, stirring often. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and cook for 2 mins more. Add the rice and continously stir for a few minutes until it turns semi-transparent and makes a hissing sound.
• Stir in the wine, if using - it will evaporate almost immediately. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring between each addition until it is absorbed, about 15 mins.
• Try the rice - it should feel just cooked with a slight bite to it. Stir in the asparagus tips and any last dregs of stock and cook for 1 or 2 mins more. Remove from the heat and top with the remaining butter and most of the parmesan. Season generously, cover and leave for a few minutes to settle.
• Give the risotto a thorough stir to incorporate the butter and cheese and serve straight away with the remaining parmesan for sprinkling over.

ASPARAGUS AND PARSLEY PESTO RISOTTO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• In a heavy oven-proof pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the shallot and cook until translucent and softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and rice; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until the rice is toasted, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the broth and 1 1/4 cups water. Transfer immediately to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the pine nuts and the lemon peel.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until blended; Set the pesto aside.
• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the asparagus and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Continue to bake until the rice is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved pesto and serve with extra Parmesan.
• Enjoy! ;).

BEST EVER ASPARAGUS & PEA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Snap the woody ends off the asparagus stalks and roughly bash with the blade of a knife. Tip the ends into a saucepan along with the reserved pea pods, if using, and parmesan rind, if you have it. Pour over 700ml of the stock, set the pan over a low heat and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cut the tips off the asparagus, set aside, and slice the stalks into rounds.
• Bring the rest of the stock to the boil in a small saucepan, tip in the asparagus tips and cook for 1 min. Scoop out into a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Tip the rest of the asparagus and the peas into the pan and simmer for 3-4 mins until just tender. Tip half the cooked veg and the stock from the pan into a blender and blitz until frothy and green. Return to the pan with the whole vegetables and set aside.
• Heat most of the oil in a large, shallow saucepan over a low heat and cook the onions for 8-10 mins until soft but not translucent. Stir in the rice to coat in the onions and oil, turn the heat up slightly and cook for 3 mins. Pour over the wine or vermouth, then stir and simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
• Add a ladleful of stock from the large pan, avoiding the pea pods and asparagus ends, stirring vigorously and only adding more when the first ladle has been absorbed by the rice. Keep adding stock in this way until it is absorbed, the pan is dry and the rice is al dente (about 15 mins), then add the green stock, along with the veg, and cook for 3-4 mins more until the rice is just tender and you can see the bottom of the pan when you draw a spoon through it.
• Remove from the heat and leave to stand for a minute, then beat in the butter, most of the cheese, a squeeze of lemon juice and some seasoning. Stir until the cheese has melted and the risotto is thick. Serve in warmed bowls topped with the asparagus tips, pea shoots (if using), the rest of the cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.