Pea and Asparagus Risotto without Wine

Name: Pea and Asparagus Risotto without Wine
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 8 cups chicken stock; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided); 1 shallot (finely chopped); 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (UNWASHED); 1 bunch asparagus (preferably thin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces); 2/3 cup frozen peas; 1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated); lemon zest from 1 lemon

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Make the best creamy Risotto with Pea and Asparagus! You will be surprised how easy it is to prep this classic recipe with just a few simple ingredients.

Risotto with peas and asparagus in a pot with a wooden spoon.

Why you will love this recipe

Easy to make. While this classic dish might seem complicated, it’s really very easy to make and you only need a few ingredients. Just follow the instructions and my “tips for best results” and you will have the best risotto, even if you are a beginner cook!
Incorporate vegetables. I love to incorporate seasonal vegetables. If you don’t have peas or asparagus on hands, check out below what other veggies you can use in this recipe.
Lots of flavor. While this recipe might be really simple, it has a lot of complex flavors. Be sure you use high quality ingredients.
Perfect for a fancy dinner! This will be a great recipe to make for a fancy dinner party to surprised your friends and family. Plus, it’s easy to compliment it with meat, fish, and side dishes.

Risotto with peas and asparagus in a pot.

Ingredients and Substitution

Rice. You always want to use Arborio rice to make risotto. This is a classic short-grain rice that’s high in starch, which provides famous creamy texture. You CAN’T substitute it with any other variety!
Chicken Stock. I always prefer to use Homemade Chicken Stock, as it has more flavor and nutrients. You can also use your favorite store bought chicken or vegetable stock/broth.
Shallot. While you can substitute it with a regular onion, I always prefer to use a shallot in this recipe. It has a more complex spicy and garlicky flavor that helps to create more aroma in this dish.
Parmesan cheese. It is best to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, so when it melts it will make the dish creamy.
Peas. You can use regular frozen peas from your freezer and don’t even have to defrost it before adding to the pot.
Asparagus. If you use fresh thin asparagus, you don’t have to precook it before adding to the rice. It takes only a few minutes for it to soften up.
Lemon zest. Do not skip this ingredient. It makes the whole dish lighter and brighter!

Ingredients to make risotto with pea and asparagus.

How to make it

Pour the chicken stock into a pot and bring it to boil. Then reduce the heat to low and leave it to lightly simmer.

Meanwhile, preheat another pot over medium/low heat. Add 2 tbsp butter and finely chopped shallot. Cook or about 4-5 minutes or until it’s translucent and releases aroma.

Process photos of cooking shallots in a skillet.

Add UNWASHED 1 ½ cups Arborio rice and cook for a few minutes, constantly stirring, until the edges get translucent.

Process photos of stirring arborio rice with shallots in a skillet.

Then laddle a cup of simmering broth into the rice and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Don’t forget to stir. Repeat the same step (adding 1 cup of simmering broth at a time and cook until absorbed) until the rice is almost cooked. It should take about 20-25 minutes.

Process photos of adding broth with the cooking risotto.

Then add peas and chopped asparagus, add another cup of broth, and continue cooking until the rice is fully cooked and the veggies are nice and tender.

Process photos of adding peas and chopped asparagus to the risotto.

Add remaining 2 tbsp butter, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and stir everything in.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Process photo of adding butter, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest to the risotto with pea and asparagus.

Tips for best results

Do not forget to stir! Stirring is the key to delicious creamy risotto.
Don’t rush the process. In order to get the right texture and flavor, this dish has to cook slowly over low heat. So, don’t try to speed up the process by turning the heat high, it will ruin the recipe.
Keep the liquid warm. The reason we keep the broth simmering is we want it to be the same temperature as the cooking rice. Because we add it gradually, we want the rice to cook evenly without temperature fluctuations.
One laddle at a time. Make sure you add only one laddle of broth at a time to the rice and let it almost fully absorb before you add more. If you add too much liquid, the rice will just become mushy.

Storage and Freezing

How to sore? Pea and Asparagus Risotto is best served fresh. Although, if you have any leftovers, you can transfer them to an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
How to reheat? When reheating, you will need to add a little bit of liquid to loosen it up. I like to add some broth or milk and heat it up in a pot over medium heat.
How to freeze? Unfortunately, risotto doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t advise doing that.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you rinse Arborio rice to make risotto?

NO! If you rinse the rice, you will wash off all the starch that we need to create a classic creamy texture.

Do I need to add wine to the risotto?

While the wine can add some additional flavor, I usually skip this ingredient. If you decide to use it, just add 1 cup of dry wine to the rice and shallots (that are lightly cooked until translucent) and let it simmer until the wine is cooked off. The just continue adding stock/broth according to the recipe.

What other vegetables can I add to risotto?

If you want to play around with flavors and add different veggies and protein, here are a few of my favorite flavor combos:
– Butternut squash
– Mushrooms and chicken
– Peas and ham
– Yellow squash and zucchini

More Dinner Recipe Ideas:

Print Recipe