This dish is a healthy alternative to our typical pasta every night. Plus, with fresh asparagus, it was to die for delicious. The cookbook that the recipe comes from is called The Art Of Simple Food and it is all about using simple, organic ingredients because fresh food is what ends up tasting the best. The author Alice Waters simply states that "when you have the best and tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply and the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is." The only challenging part about this recipe was adjusting to the way it was written in the cookbook. It is helpful for me to have a list of ingredients, and then step by step instructions. The way that this recipe is set up is a bit different, with the ingredients sprinkled throughout the steps.
Snap off the ends of:
1 pound asparagus
Cut the spears on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces.
Remove the zest from:
1 lemon
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice.
Melt in a heavy-bottomed 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat:
2 tablespoons butter
Add:
1 small onion, diced fine
Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add:
1 1/2 cups risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo, or Vialone Nano)
Cook the rice, stirring now and then, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Do not let it brown.
Meanwhile, bring to a boil and then turn off:
5 cups chicken broth
Stir the lemon zest into the sautéed rice, then pout in:
1/2 cup dry white wine
Cook, stirring fairly often, until all the wine is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook at a vigorous simmer, sitting occasionally. When the rice starts to get thick, pour in another 1/2 cup of the broth and add some salt (how much depends on the saltiness of the broth). Keep adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time, every time the rice thickens. Do not let the rice dry out. After 12 minutes stir in the cut asparagus. Cook until the rice is tender but still has a firm core, about 20 to 30 minutes in all. When the rice is just about done, stir in half of the lemon juice and:
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Stir vigorously to develop the creamy starch. Taste for salt and lemon juice, adding more as needed. Turn off the heat, let the risotto sit uncovered for 2 minutes, and serve. Add a splash of broth if the rice becomes too thick.
**I used saffron risotto
4 servings
Recipe From: Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food
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