Risotto agli Asparagi

Making Risotto agli Asparagi Ahead

Best fresh. Reheat with a splash of water.

Making Risotto agli Asparagi

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1. Cut off the asparagus tips 4 cm from the top. Chop the stalks small. Simmer the tough ends in the water with the salt for 15 minutes, then strain and keep hot.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Melt half the butter in a wide pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring, for 18 minutes, adding the chopped stalks after 8 minutes and the tips for the last 4 minutes.

   Mark done Start 18 min timer

4. Off the heat, beat in the remaining butter and the Parmesan. Cover and rest for 2 minutes.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

Related guide: Choosing rice.

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Tips for Success

• Simmer the woody ends for stock, not the bin.
• Add the tips at the end to keep them green.
• Beat in cold butter off the heat.

Behind the Recipe

Risotto agli asparagi means asparagus risotto, and the idea is to use the whole spear: tips for the plate, stalks for the stock. The woody ends and peelings simmer in water to make a pale green broth, and the rice cooks in that.

Cut the tips off about 4 cm from the top and set them aside. Chop the rest of the spears small, and simmer the tough trimmings in the stock for 15 minutes, then strain. Keep the tips back until the last 4 minutes, so they stay bright and just tender. Soften the onion in butter, toast the rice, add the wine and then the stock a ladle at a time.

The rice needs about 18 minutes and constant attention. It is done when it is creamy, flows slowly across the pan and keeps a little bite. Take it off the heat, beat in cold butter and Parmesan and cover for 2 minutes. This is a spring dish. Out of season, the flavour is too faint to carry it.

What to Put Next to It

Dry white wine · Grilled prawns · Green salad

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Rosemary Focaccia, Tuscan Panzanella, Ciabatta.

Changing the Recipe

• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

What's in a Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 3 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

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