Risotto is more than just a fall/winter cozy dish. Lemon Risotto with Asparagus can also serve as a delicious and comforting meal that highlights the bright and light flavors of summer- like lemon and asparagus!
This dish uses fresh herbs and salty cheese to balance the depth of the creamy rice. All in all, this risotto would be delicious under some fresh grilled fish, with a summer salad, or alone in a bowl!
It all starts with a savory base of sautéed garlic and thyme.
Next, arborio rice is toasted in the aromatic garlic oil to deepen the final flavor of the risotto. Warm chicken broth cooks the rice to an irresistibly creamy texture.
Finished with light asparagus and lemon zest, this risotto is bright enough for spring but hearty enough for the coziest of dinners.
Lemon Risotto with Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme)
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken broth low sodium
- zest from 1 whole lemon
- ½ bunch asparagus
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot (I use a dutch-oven), melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until the garlic is just starting to caramelize, about 4 minutes.
- Warm the chicken broth in a separate pot on the stove until just steaming. Stir the rice and 1 tsp. salt into the garlic and thyme. Increase the heat to medium-high and toast the rice, stirring, about 4 minutes until the rice is just barely browning.
- Pour in the wine and add half of the lemon zest. Stir until the wine is absorbed into the rice.
- Decrease the heat back to medium and stir in a few ladles of the hot chicken broth. Cook, stirring often, until the broth is absorbed, keeping a gentle simmer going. Continue this process, adding the chicken broth a ladle at a time and stirring until it is absorbed, until all the broth is gone.
- Swirl in the lemon juice. Taste a small spoon of rice to check for doneness, it should be soft with just a slight chew to it.
- While the rice is cooking, trim the tough ends off of the asparagus stalks and steam in the microwave until just softened (3-4 minutes). Chop into 1 inch pieces.
- When the rice is cooked, stir in the asparagus pieces, remaining lemon zest, cream, and pecorino romano cheese, as well as freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
- If the risotto is too thick, it can be thinned with a little more broth. If it is too thin, it can be simmered a bit longer to thicken.
- Serve topped with extra cheese and pepper, if desired.
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