Simple Pea and Asparagus Risotto

Plate with risotto with spring peas and asparagus.

4.80 from 5 votes

Simple Pea and Asparagus Risotto

This simple and delicious Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto recipe is a great weeknight dinner that packs in spring vegetables. Roasted asparagus adds the perfect flavorful veggies! Full of flavor with parmesan, a touch of butter and white wine. Dinner is comforting and veggie packed!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus (about 3/4 pound) chopped to 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 T olive oil
4-5 c broth
3-4 T unsalted butter divided
1 shallot minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 c arborio rice
1/2 c white wine
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c parmesan more for topping
1 c peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon zest as desired

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss chopped asparagus in olive oil and season with a dash of salt, pepper and garlic powder if desired. Roast the asparagus for about 15 minutes, until tender and starting to slightly brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Warm about 5 cups of broth or stock in a saucepan to a simmer at medium heat.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a separate pan (straight sided skillet or dutch oven work well). Add shallot and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until shallots begin to become translucent. Add in garlic and cook another minute.
Add arborio rice and stir constantly to coat and toast for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in white wine and allow to absorb into the rice, stirring frequently.
Begin adding one ladle full of heated broth into the pot and stir occasionally letting the broth fully absorb into the rice. Continue adding ladles of broth one at a time, allowing them to fully absorb before adding another until the rice is al dente, soft and chewy with a very slight bite in the center. This will take roughly 20 minutes, more or less. Adjust heat to keep the risotto at a constant simmer.
When the rice is al dente, add one more ladle of broth, remaining butter, parmesan, and lemon juice and stir constantly until smooth and creamy but not soupy. Add in the peas and roasted asparagus and stir until peas are cooked.
Add lemon zest and freshly chopped parsley over top. Serve immediately with extra parmesan on top.

Notes

Stay near the stove at all times. This is the one thing that makes risotto a bit more challenging. You don't want the pea and asparagus risotto to come to a boil while cooking this. Risotto is the most successful when you are nearby!
Don't rush the process. The key to good risotto is all in being patient. Don't add more broth to the rice until the current broth is nearly fully absorbed. Too much broth too soon can cause the risotto to be mushy.
Have extra broth on standby. I always make sure to have about 5, possibly more, cups of broth warmed up to make sure I have enough. You can use water if you run out of broth, but for the most flavor, broth is key.
Stir the risotto often, but not constantly. If you stir your risotto too much, you will add too much air and it will become gluey. The key is to add movement to the rice to help release the starch that will make for creaminess, but not too much that the texture is not right.
Don't use a pan that is too wide. About 8 inches is great. If your pan is too wide, the rice layer will be too thin and they won't work with each other enough to generate the starches needed for the risotto recipe.

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