Parmesan Asparagus Risotto
Nothing says late spring like big bright stalks of asparagus! Grilled, sautéed, ribboned, or, our favorite, in a creamy risotto - this seasonal dreamboat of a veggie takes center stage for a few weeks out of the year and we're here to give it it's leading role! Not only is risotto a classic Italian comfort food, but it also is an excellent costar for our dear asparagus. The smooth buttery and wine flavored rice highlights the best qualities in asparagus - cooked to perfection and still slightly firm (no one likes mushy asparagus) - the two just compliment each other perfectly. Don't take our word for it, test this recipe yourself! You'll be singing praises about this seasonal culinary debut in no time!
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Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 large stalks asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces and parboiled
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups Arborio rice or short grained white rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 6 1/2 cups bone broth or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon grass fed butter
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, to "parboil" is to partially cook vegetables in boiling water. So when you parboil the asparagus, cook them in the boiling water for no more than 2 minutes, then immediately strain and rinse with cold water so they don't continue to cook, and set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, add broth. Bring to a simmer (just before boiling), then turn heat down to low.
- In a separate large sauce pan, heat ghee over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent - 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add rice and stir constantly to ensure all grains are evenly coated in oil, sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add white wine to pan, continue to stir and cook until wine is fully absorbed.
- Then begin to add broth, one ladleful at a time. Stir continuously between each ladleful, and only once the broth is mostly absorbed do you add the next bit of broth.
- Once you're down to the last couple cups of broth, and the rice is slightly tender and still slightly firm to the bite with a creamy consistency, add the asparagus with the next couple ladlefuls of broth and be sure to reserve 1/2 a cup of broth.
- Turn heat down to low and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until broth is mostly absorbed and asparagus is heated through. Then ad remaining ingredients: reserved broth, butter, Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
To convert this into a paleo recipe:
Replace rice with 6 cups of cauliflower rice.
Only use 4 cups of broth, and it can be added at one time - just cook until mostly absorbed and cauliflower is tender and fluffs easily with a fork (since it cooks much faster than real rice, it doesn't require the same cooking method).
Then just replace Parmesan with nutritional yeast, and you're ready to go!
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