Lemon Risotto with Asparagus
Creamy lemon risotto studded with fresh spring asparagus is the perfect meal when you are craving comfort and bright flavors, all at once.
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.