Asparagus risotto is a delicate and creamy Italian dish perfect for this spring: in fact, asparagus is in full season and the temperatures still allow us to consume this hot and not exactly summery dish. The asparagus risotto recipe is very simple and requires few ingredients. Even if you are not a risotto expert, following my step-by-step recipe you will be able to enjoy a creamy and delicate risotto, just like the one prepared in Italy.
As with all Italian risotto recipes, there are two important phases in the preparation: the initial toasting of the rice, which guarantees well separated and not mushy grains, and the final phase, in which the rice is mixed with the butter or with a cheese (what in Italian is called “mantecatura” and which guarantees a creamy risotto). In this case, to fully savor the delicate taste of the asparagus, I only use butter and Parmesan, but if you wish, you can add the cheese of your choice to the asparagus risotto.
The asparagus, on the other hand, should be cut into small pieces and boiled briefly, to then finish cooking directly in the risotto. Don’t throw away their cooking water, but use it together with a little vegetable broth to cook the asparagus risotto which will thus be even tastier!
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Ingredients for creamy asparagus risotto
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How to prepare creamy asparagus risotto
Qui puoi trovare la versione italiana di questa ricetta!
To prepare the asparagus risotto, start by cleaning the asparagus: remove the toughest end part, where it breaks.
Wash them thoroughly and cut them into small pieces, keeping the tips intact. Boil them for 5-6 minutes in the vegetable broth, then drain them with a slotted spoon, keeping the broth boiling, as it will serve to dilute the risotto. Keep them aside by dividing the tips from the stem.
In a thick-bottomed non-stick pan, fry the finely chopped onion in the oil over a very low heat. Then add the rice, salt it lightly and toast it for a couple of minutes.
Pour in a little hot broth. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the asparagus, still keeping the tips aside.
Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly and adding more hot broth each time the previous one has been absorbed.
Then add the hot milk, the pepper, another pinch of salt if needed, and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is cooked (about 3-4 minutes).
Finally, also add the asparagus tips. When the cooking water has absorbed, turn off the heat and add the butter cut into pieces, stirring constantly until it is blended with the rice.
Then add the grated Parmesan cheese and continue to stir the risotto for about a minute (12). Serve the asparagus risotto immediately.
How much broth do I need for risotto?
Even if it is not usually measured precisely and the quantity can vary according to the type of rice and the power of the stove, consider that for a risotto for 4 people you will need approximately 5 cups of broth (1.2 liter). If towards the end of cooking you realize you’ve finished it, you can replace it with slightly salted water (a pinch is really enough). However, it is essential that the water or broth is always boiling when added to the risotto so as not to block the cooking of the rice.
Tips and variations
In Italy, among the most used cheeses in asparagus risotto, in addition to Parmesan there are some creamy or semi-creamy cheeses, such as stracchino, taleggio and gorgonzola.
Varied doses for servings