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Pea and Asparagus Risotto without Wine

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 686kcal
Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 1 ½ cups Arborio rice UNWASHED
  • 1 bunch asparagus preferably thin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • lemon zest from 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Pour 8 cups 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.
  • Add UNWASHED 1 ½ cups Arborio rice and cook for a few minutes, constantly stirring, until the edges get translucent.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Add remaining 2 tbsp butter, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and stir everything in.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1093mg | Potassium: 894mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1595IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 7mg