Asparagus Risotto

Classic asparagus risotto made with arborio rice, shallots, stock, fresh asparagus, and Parmesan cheese.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated February 08, 2021
Elise Bauer
Asparagus Risotto
Elise Bauer

In California winter can transition to spring in a flash. It seems like yesterday we were beset by chilly storms while the forecast for this week is all sunny and 70s.

Daffodils are blooming, as are cherry trees, and the truest test of spring, asparagus in the market can be found for less than $2 a pound.

Asparagus Risotto
Elise Bauer

I just couldn't resist these at the market today, and cooked them up into a creamy risotto. This recipe is a classic asparagus risotto recipe.

You can easily dress it up with some lemon zest, lump crab meat, green onions, truffle salt, fresh thyme or chopped mint.

This risotto we've made on the loose side, which is why we are serving it in a bowl. When making risotto you get to decide how loose you want it. Just stop adding liquid when the risotto gets to the consistency you like!

trim and chop the asparagus for asparagus risotto
Elise Bauer

Asparagus Risotto

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 2 to 3 servings

If you want to make this a vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock or water instead of the chicken stock.

Ingredients

  • About 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option)

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

  • 1/2 cup chopped shallots

  • 1 cup arborio rice

  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (or 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water)

  • 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, tips cut off, tough skins of the spears peeled (if working with thick apparatus spears), and the spears cut into thin disks

  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Heat the stock:

    Heat the stock in a small saucepan until it comes to a low simmer.

  2. Cook shallots, add rice:

    In a separate 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, until translucent. Add the arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

    asparagus-risotto-method-1
    Elise Bauer
    asparagus-risotto-method-2
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add the wine:

    Add the white wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine.

  4. Add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time:

    Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of hot stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

    asparagus-risotto-method-3
    Elise Bauer
    asparagus-risotto-method-4
    Elise Bauer

    Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes.

  5. Add the asparagus:

    With the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes, until the risotto has absorbed the stock, but is still loose, and the asparagus are just cooked through.

    asparagus-risotto-method-5
    Elise Bauer
    asparagus-risotto-method-6
    Elise Bauer

    Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water.

  6. Stir in the Parmesan, remaining butter, add salt, pepper:

    Turn off the heat. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
544 Calories
17g Fat
75g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 3
Amount per serving
Calories 544
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 44mg 15%
Sodium 873mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 75g 27%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 9mg 43%
Calcium 186mg 14%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 693mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.