Risotto with Asparagus and Pesto
Updated Dec. 13, 2022
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 7cups well-seasoned chicken or vegetable stock
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½cup minced onion
- Salt to taste
- 1½cups arborio rice
- 1garlic clove, minced
- ½cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- ¾pound asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
- ¼ to ⅓cup pesto, to taste
- 2 to 4tablespoons Parmesan, to taste
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
415 calories; 14 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 1029 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
- Step 2
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
- Step 3
Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about ½ cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
- Step 4
Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.
Private Notes
Comments
Ric has a good point that this is first, “make risotto in the usual way” then add asparagus and pesto and cheese. Ever since I realized that I could skip all the stirring when making risotto I have relied upon the pressure cooker to do it for me. Literally 5 minutes under pressure and you’re ready to add the asparagus. I simply sautéed onions and garlic in olive oil, added the rice and wine, cooked off the wine, added 3.5 cups of stock and locked the lid. Makes this an excellent weeknight dish.
This is pretty much, "make risotto in the usual way, stir in some pesto at the end." As with all risotto, using real stock makes a world of difference.
Nice. I recommend dry frying a handful of pine nuts first and then tossing them into the risotto at the last minute for added crunch. Make enough that you can snack on them while stirring. I used the cut-off ends of the asparagus to make the stock.
Meh. It was OK, but I feel like the pesto covered up the asparagus flavor. I wouldn't make it like this again.
i found the pesto quantity a little overlarge; it muddied hte flavor of my very fresh asparagus and fava beans...next time i'll use less.
I thought this turned out quite nicely! I wanted to add some protein, so I tossed some frozen Lima beans into the simmering stock, adding them to the rice with the stock. They added a nice creamy texture.