Risotto is known for it's creamy texture and this recipe keeps to that tradition by pureeing the asparagus. This asparagus risotto recipe also has a more subtle flavor than if the spears were added in whole. The tips are more tender, so those are added in separately, instead of being pureed.
In spring, asparagus is abundant and affordable. You can use up a whole pound in this risotto. The recipe is also flexible enough to add in other spring vegetables, like mushrooms or freshly shelled peas.
Jump to:
Recipe
Ingredients
ASPARAGUS PUREE
- 1 bunch asparagus about 1 lb.
- ¼ cup vegetable broth re
- 1 T lemon juice use zest for risotto
- 10 large basil leaves adjust to your liking
RISOTTO
- 4 cups broth vegetable or chicken
- 2 T olive oil
- ½ yellow onion or 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup white wine optional
- 1 T zest from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black or red pepper
- ½ cup asiago or parmesan cheese freshly shredded, not grated
- 4-6 ounces ham fully cooked
Instructions
Asparagus puree
- Prepare the asparagus stalks: cut the dry ends off and discard. Cut the tips off and reserve (they are added to the risotto at the end). Take the remaining stalks and cut into 1-2 inch pieces (these will be pureed).
- Heat 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth in a saucepan. This is used to blanch the asparagus AND THEN added to the risotto - do not discard! Bring broth to a boil, then blanch for about 5 minutes. They should be tender, but still bright green. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and place in a food processor.
- In the food processor: add ¼ cup of the broth from the sauce pan, lemon juice, and basil leaves along with the blanched asparagus. Pulse until it forms a nice puree. Set aside.
Make the risotto
- Cook onion & garlic: Chop the onion and garlic. Heat olive oil in a metal skillet on medium heat, then add onion and garlic. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Watch the garlic so it doesn't burn.
- Add arborio rice to the pan. Stir to coat it with the oil and "toast" it for 1-2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine (or broth if omitting the wine) and stir with a spatula to unstick anything stuck to the pan.
- Cook risotto: Add 1 cup of broth, the lemon zest, salt and pepper to the pan, stirring occasionally. Let the risotto soak up the broth. As it starts to dry out, add another cup of broth.
- Continue to add broth + asparagus tips & ham: Continue to add broth until the risotto is tender, but still chewy - and add the asparagus tips and ham with your last cup of broth so they can cook a little. (You might not use all of the broth).
- Add asparagus puree and cheese: Add the asparagus puree to the pan, cook until some of the liquid is absorbed. Add the cheese and stir to melt it. The risotto should have it's typical creamy consistency at this point, and you are ready to serve it.
Notes
Nutrition
Using asparagus in risotto
There are a couple different ways to use asparagus in risotto: mix chopped pieces in or puree them into the sauce.
The most common way to make asparagus risotto is to add chopped sprears into the pan when the arborio rice is almost done cooking. It's quick, easy, and requires no extra fuss.
Recipes using fresh, chopped asparagus usually call for about a ½ pound per cup of (uncooked) arborio rice. You can cut the spears into 1-inch pieces or slice them into skinny coin sized pieces that would mix into the risotto more like peas.
This recipe uses pureed asparagus, which I actually prefer for several reasons.
- Texture: I like that it preserves the creamy risotto texture, with just a few tender stalk tips scattered throughout.
- Subtle flavor: the flavor is actually more subtle this way - contrary to what I would have guessed.
- Color: the asparagus (and basil) turn the risotto into a fun, light green color. Perfect for a spring dinner!
How much asparagus to use
If you have picky eaters in the house, this is also a great way to hide a lot of vegetables in their dinner. The recipe uses an entire pound of asparagus to make either 4 servings as a side or 2 servings as a main meal.
A pound looks like a quite a lot of asparagus and you'll probably question if it's too much. It's not. Surprisingly, the flavor is subtle. It tastes like you maybe mixed in a handful of chopped asparagus, no more!
Woody asparagus
Asparagus can turn tough and fibrous. It's happened to most of us - after cooking some asparagus for a quick side dish, they are stringy and chewy. One way to fix that is to puree it.
That's right, if you have tough spears, it will be perfectly fine in this asparagus risotto. If you realize the spears are tough while still raw, use them in this recipe.
If you roasted or sauteed them only to find out after the fact that they were fibrous, you can put them in the fridge and use them the next day for this risotto. When using pre-cooked asparagus, skip the blanching step. Cut them up into 1-2 inch pieces and puree them with the rest of the ingredients.
Adding other veggies
You've got your risotto with your asparagus sauce, but maybe you want to add some other flavors. My main go-to options for this recipe are fresh peas and mushrooms, which work well with both asparagus and ham.
Fresh shelled peas
I love the texture of fresh shelled peas (compared to frozen). They can be hard to find, but I often have luck at Trader Joe's during spring and summer.
Each half-cup serving of peas has just over 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and a whole bunch of other nutrients. It's a great way to add protein for a vegetarian dinner.
Add the peas at the end, when you stir in the asparagus puree. They don't really need to be cooked, so they can just be folded in. This will preserve their fresh texture and flavor.
Mushrooms
Add any kind of mushroom works great in risotto - it's a classic pairing for a reason. Their flavor pairs perfectly with both ham and asparagus, so use as many as you want!
I like to saute the mushrooms separately to get them nicely browned and a little crispy. This can be done in the same pan - first saute the mushrooms and once done, set them aside and use the same pan to start the risotto.
I also picked up a little tip from Love & Lemons that I use all of the time now. They stir in half of the mushrooms toward the end of cooking, then add the other half on top right before serving. The ones that are stirred in soften and impart some of their flavor into the risotto. The other ones add a crispy, salty element to every bite.
More recipes & resources
Looking for other ways to use asparagus or make risotto - check out some of these recipes and resources. I collected over 50 asparagus recipes that feature 10 different cooking methods. There's definitely something for everyone in this list.
Other risotto recipes
- Vegetarian risotto with asparagus and peas from Once Upon a Chef
- Asparagus risotto (without the puree) from Love & Lemons
- A simple, classic risotto from Natasha's Kitchen with 60 5-star reviews
More asparagus recipes to try
Eating in season
Asparagus is one of the earliest spring vegetables, a welcomed sight after a long winter of citrus and root vegetables. Get recipes for other spring vegetables that are in season at the same time.
Leave a Reply