Pesto Risotto With Asparagus Recipes

RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS AND PESTO

Steps:

• Put well-seasoned stock or broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over low heat, with a ladle nearby or in the pot.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy nonstick skillet or a wide, heavy saucepan. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.
• Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir until it is no longer visible in the pan. Begin adding simmering stock, a couple of ladlefuls (about 1/2 cup) at a time. The stock should just cover rice and should be bubbling, not too slowly but not too quickly. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, adding more stock and stirring when rice is almost dry. You do not have to stir continually, but stir often. After 10 minutes, add asparagus and continue to stir and add stock for another 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is cooked through but still al dente.
• Add another ladleful of stock to the rice. Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn't). Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading risotto in a thin layer rather than a mound.

SPRING RISOTTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the pot and blanch, just until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking, about 30 seconds. Transfer the asparagus to a colander to drain. Repeat with the English peas, sugar snap peas, and fiddleheads.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté just until translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute.
• Stir the wine into the rice, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring periodically, until the rice absorbs the wine, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup/240ml stock and 2 teaspoons salt, return to a simmer, and let cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Spread the rice mixture on a baking sheet and set aside until you are ready to finish the dish, or skip this step and keep cooking, continuing with adding the hot stock.
• About 15 minutes before you're ready to serve, return the rice mixture to the sauté pan and cook over medium heat. Stir 1 cup/240ml of the hot stock into the rice mixture and cook until the moisture has been nearly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining 3 cups/720ml of stock, adding 1 cup/240ml at a time. When you still see liquid pooling here and there in the pan, remove from the heat and stir in the blanched vegetables and the Parmesan. Quickly stir in the pesto and serve.
• Store risotto, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Do Ahead
• To prepare the risotto ahead of time, cook the vegetables and the rice up until you add the wine and 1 cup/240ml of stock. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, spread the rice and onion mixture on a baking sheet to hold until you're ready to finish cooking. Just before dinner, return the rice to the pot and resume cooking until done.

PESTO RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In small food processor bowl, place the parsley, green onions and pesto.
• Pulse until well combined.
• Set aside.
• In medium pot, bring stock to a boil.
• Cook leeks in stock for about 4 minutes.
• Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl.
• Set aside.
• Keep stock on low simmer.
• In large pot, over medium high heat, melt the butter and saute the rice until well coated.
• Add the wine and cook until almost absorbed.
• Add 2 cups of the stock and continue to simmer until almost absorbed.
• Continue this process until rice is cooked and creamy.
• Add the leeks, ham, asparagus, Parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup of the pesto.
• Taste for seasoning.
• Lastly stir in the cheese balls.
• Serve immediately in hot serving bowls and top with remaining pesto.

RISOTTO WITH SCALLOPS & ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Bring water and broth to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat and keep simmering.
• Heat oil in nonstick saucepan and add onion. Reduce heat and saute 1 minute.
• Add rice. Cook, stirring to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of broth mixture; cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed.
• Add 1/2 cup of broth and asparagus. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender. Total cooking time for the rice should be about 25-30 minutes.
• Stir in scallops, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Cook until the scallops are opaque, the rice tender, and the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the cheese and serve.

ASPARAGUS AND PARSLEY PESTO RISOTTO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
• In a heavy oven-proof pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the shallot and cook until translucent and softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and rice; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until the rice is toasted, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the broth and 1 1/4 cups water. Transfer immediately to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a food processor, finely chop the parsley, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the pine nuts and the lemon peel.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until blended; Set the pesto aside.
• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the asparagus and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Continue to bake until the rice is tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved pesto and serve with extra Parmesan.
• Enjoy! ;).