Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
Serves 4
- 1 bunch green asparagus
- 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
- 1 small onion or shallot
- 360 g (1¾ cups) risotto rice
- 1 glass (250 ml / 1 cup) dry white wine
- 1.3 liters (5½ cups) vegetable stock or warm water
- 50 g (½ cup) grated Parmesan
- Salt, pepper
- Truffle shavings (optional)
Start by making an asparagus cream. Cut the asparagus into pieces and set the tips aside for the end. Put the stalk pieces in a saucepan and sauté them for a few minutes with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Once lightly golden, add just enough water to cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until the pieces are tender.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion or shallot.
After about 10 minutes, the water should have mostly evaporated and the asparagus should be tender, with the tip of a knife sliding in and out easily. Season lightly with salt and pepper and blend with a little water until you have a very smooth cream. It’s important to blend long enough to get a smooth texture with no stringy bits.
In a saucepan, toast the rice and shallot in 1 Tbsp olive oil until the grains turn translucent. Deglaze with the glass of white wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the vegetable stock a few ladles at a time over medium heat, for 18-20 minutes, adding more stock as it’s absorbed and stirring regularly with a wooden spoon, until the risotto is tender but not mushy. Toward the end of cooking, lay the asparagus tips on top so they cook lightly. (I then take them out and put them back on when serving.)
Add the asparagus cream to the risotto, turn the heat down very low and stir well. It should be creamy. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, adjust the seasoning, stir, and plate the rice with the asparagus tips on top.
Tips and variations
- For risotto as a main course, count about 80-90 g of uncooked rice per person. As a side dish, more like 60 g. And about three times that amount of stock.
- The stock or water absolutely must be warm so it doesn’t stop the risotto from cooking, otherwise you’ll be there for a while…
- For an even more festive touch, and if you like them, you can add truffle shavings when serving.
- For a vegan version, leave out the Parmesan and replace the butter with olive oil.