Asparagus Risotto

Here's a fairly quick and tasty risotto recipe - you can vary the quantity of asparagus according to taste. The trick is to keep stirring the rice whilst cooking and taste frequently to make sure it is al-dente and not overdone.



















Ingredients (serves 4, w/leftovers..)

• 400g (14 oz) risotto rice
• 500g to 1kg (1 to 2 lbs) asparagus
• 1 small onion
• 1/3 cup (75 ml) olive oil
• 3 slices pancetta (diced), substitute ham or bacon
• 4-5 cups (1 litre) chicken stock
• 1 cup (240 ml) white wine
• 1 cup (240 ml) asparagus cooking liquid
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream
• 75 g (3 oz) parmesan cheese (subsitute romano)
• Salt and pepper to season

Instructions

1. Remove woody ends from asparagus by holding at both ends and bending gently. They'll snap at the natural breaking point. Then remove the spear top from the stem - we'll cook those separately.











2. Bring pan of salted water to boil and cook the aparagus stems for about 7-9 minutes.











3. Drain stems, reserving one cup of the cooking liquid and place in a blender. Add the reserved cooking liquid, cup of white wine and one cup of the chicken stock. Blend for a couple of minutes.


























4. Place blended asparagus and stock mixture in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Then cook the spear-tips in boiling water for 1 minute before draining and placing in ice-water. This will help keep them crisp.











5. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan and add the olive oil. Fry the onion and pancetta for a few minutes to soften.





























6. Add the rice to the pan, reduce heat to low and coat thoroughly in the oil.






















7. Increase heat in pan to moderate-high, then add a ladle of the asparagus stock, stirring the rice continuously. When the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladle from the sauce pan, stirring all the time. Repeat for about 20-25 minutes until the rice is al-dente (just cooked). If you start to run out of stock from the sauce-pan, add more chicken stock or hot water.




















8. When the rice is al-dente, add the cream and freshly-grated parmesan and stir-well. Remove asparagus tips from ice-water and gently mix-in. Serve with a chilled white-wine. Molto bene!