READY IN 45 mins

Fresh Asparagus Risotto

Read Reviews (83)

"This classic risotto uses arborio rice, fresh asparagus, white wine, cream and Parmesan cheese for a creamy side dish just right for spring." — RiceSelect

Directions

Heat water and broth in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add asparagus and cook until tender crisp. Remove asparagus; set aside. In same saucepan, cook onion in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until soft. Add rice and stir 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in 1 cup water-broth mixture.
Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until liquid is absorbed. Continue stirring and adding remaining water-broth mixture 1 cup at a time, allowing each cup to be absorbed before adding another. Cook until rice is tender and mixture has a creamy consistency, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in asparagus, cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until mixture is creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 5 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 45 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

May 18, 2009

This was delicious! I made it veggie-friendly by using vegetable broth. I also left out the white wine and just used a little extra vegetable broth. Also subsituted the heavy cream with milk and it was still PLENTY rich and delicious. I didn't have white pepper - so just used black. A lovely way to use all that fresh asparagus!

—ChristinaW

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 14, 2010

I did everything except used half and half instead of the heavy cream. My family really did not like it that much. hmmm Interesting flavor but it was wierd at the same time.

—aerdnaxela

See full review »

110 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

May 18, 2009

Especially for this sort of asparagus preparation, I strongly recommend peeling the lower half (+/-) of the stalks to remove the woody outer portion. Once this has been done and the lower ends trimmed back, there will be 80 - 90% of the vegetable left, and it is SO much more delectable in chewing. That said, I have to dock this dish one point as the flavors are just too understated for my tastes. Next time, I will double the asparagus &, possibly, the onion (I used a Vidalia & perhaps a yellow would serve better). Will also increase the Parm by 1 T and pepper by 1/8 tsp. Possibly will increase wine to 1/2 C and reverse the water / broth ratio. Nevertheless, this is a most excellent recipe and it passed the "wife test" with high marks, which puts it into the permanent file.

—Carnivore

See full review »

Jun 23, 2009

Oh, this was soooo good! I decided to look for an asparagus risotto recipe after ordering this dish from an authentic Italian fine dining restaurant, here in Houston. It was so good and creamy, but the portion served there (even with us placing two orders) was not enough to please our craving. This recipe tasted exactly the same as the one we devoured at the restaurant and it was sooo easy to make. I switched the broth and water ratio but followed the rest of the recipe as is since this was my first attempt at making risotto. My husband has since asked me to make this at least twice a week and I haven't complained yet... I really can't stress enough how GOOD this risotto is!!! Thanks for a great recipe!

—MaryTee

See full review »

Jan 28, 2010

Oh my goodness, so good, slight changes I made were to use 3 cups of broth and 2 cups of water and used fat free half and half in place of the heavy cream--everyone loved it!

—LOVECED

See full review »

Aug 13, 2009

First try at Risotto and it ended great. Second try and deviated from this recipe and it ended uncooked after the 5th cup of liquid and ended up nasty. Maybe because I didnt use cream and I tried the italian style of putting cold butter at the end which made it worse?? Stick to this recipe, the whipping cream is key, it will make your risotto more favorable and rich and creamy. Butter instead of oil is another thing I didnt do the second time and oil is not good enough. Butter gives it a richer taste. All in all I will make my risotto just like this recipe except I will add other veg's and seafood.

—Dafranchise69

See full review »

Dec 22, 2010

It was phenomenal, but I used all broth and no water, I also used skim milk instead of cream. I feel like it would have been very bland using water and it was still super creamy and delicious without all those calories.

—senatorkratovil

See full review »

Nov 17, 2010

Simple and tasty. Substituted fat free half-n-half for the cream.

—kristincsw

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

Nutrition

Calories
266 kcal
13%

Carbohydrates
29.8 g
10%

Cholesterol
45 mg
15%

Fat
14.2 g
22%

Fiber
1.6 g
6%

Protein
5.5 g
11%

Sodium
307 mg
12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Fresh Asparagus Risotto

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
** Calories: 266
** Calories from Fat: 128

% Daily Value *
** Total Fat 14.2g 22 %
** Saturated Fat 8.8g 44 %
** Cholesterol 45mg 15 %
** Sodium 307mg 12 %
** Potassium 204mg 6 %
** Total Carbohydrates 29.8g 10 %
** Dietary Fiber 1.6g 6 %
** Protein 5.5g 11 %
** Sugars 1.6g
** Vitamin A 23 %
** Vitamin C 11 %
** Calcium 9 %
** Iron 7 %
** Thiamin 10 %
** Niacin 12 %
** Vitamin B6 5 %
** Magnesium 6 %
** Folate 59 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.