Roasted Asparagus Risotto

Early April in Tulsa. Brayden is twenty-seven weeks old. He is in full pulling-up-to-standing mode now — the coffee table, the couch arm, the side of the bouncer, the bottom rail of the kitchen-cabinet door. He stands for about thirty seconds and then sits hard. The pediatrician’s handout had said pulling-up usually starts between seven and ten months. Brayden is six-and-a-half months. He is early on this one.

The roasted asparagus risotto is a spring-on-the-plate recipe — the first asparagus of the season at the Reasor’s on Tuesday, $3.99 a pound for the local Oklahoma asparagus from the Stillwater farms. I bought a full pound. The risotto is the standard arborio-and-stock-and-stir technique, finished with parmesan and a knob of butter, topped with the roasted asparagus tips and stems.

The risotto technique I have settled on after several years of testing: warm the stock in a separate pan; sweat the shallot and a clove of garlic in butter and olive oil; toast the arborio for two minutes in the fat; deglaze with white wine (a half cup); ladle the warm stock in a half-cup at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Twenty-two minutes from first stock-addition to finished risotto. The arborio at the end should hold its shape on the spoon but spread slightly on the plate — the “all’onda” texture, wave-like.

Sunday I made it. Dustin had two plates. Brayden had three teaspoons of plain risotto (no parmesan, no wine, no asparagus) as part of his solid-foods experimentation. He approved of the rice. The risotto is the kind of dish that scales well from a single serving for Brayden to two full plates for Dustin.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 lb fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, warmed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Roast the asparagus. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss asparagus pieces with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread in a single layer and roast for 12–15 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized at the edges. Set aside.
Warm the broth. Pour broth into a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep it warm but not boiling throughout the cooking process—adding cold broth to the risotto will slow everything down.
Sweat the aromatics. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Toast the rice. Add the Arborio rice to the pot and stir to coat with the oil. Toast for 1–2 minutes, until the edges of the grains look slightly translucent. This step builds flavor and helps the rice hold its texture.
Deglaze with wine. Pour in the white wine and stir constantly until it is fully absorbed, about 2 minutes.
Add broth gradually. Add the warm broth one ladleful (about 1/2 cup) at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each addition is nearly fully absorbed before adding the next. Continue this process for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is al dente and the mixture is creamy and loose. You may not need all the broth.
Finish the risotto. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, Parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Fold in the roasted asparagus. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately. Spoon into warm bowls and top with extra Parmesan and fresh parsley. Risotto waits for no one—serve it right away while it’s at its creamiest.

Nutrition (per serving)

Roasted Asparagus Risotto