Lemon Parmesan Risotto with Tender Asparagus
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
5 min
Cook
25 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Adding a little hot broth to arborio rice while cooking releases the rice's starch to make a creamy sauce with al dente rice. Fresh asparagus and lemon and Parmesan cheese are other ingredients in a lemon Parmesan risotto recipe meant to complement the creamy rice.
Warm chicken broth helps keep the cooking temperature steady in the pan. Add the broth in half-cup increments. Other ingredients for aromatics include shallots and garlic sautéed in butter and arborio rice that has been toasted before lemon juice goes in. Add Parmesan cheese and one tablespoon of butter to the rice without heating it for serving.
The rice is cooked properly if most of the broth is absorbed before adding more to the pan to make a creamy risotto. Stir regularly to release the starch from the rice but not too much broth at once. The finished dish should be similar in texture to porridge and include cooked but still tender-crisp asparagus.
Serve immediately after seasoning with salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon zest, if using. Risotto will set more as it cools. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container. Reheat leftover risotto in a covered skillet, adding a small amount of water, broth, or milk.
Why we keep this one around
- Adding hot broth gradually thickens the sauce and coats the rice, allowing the grains to stay tender instead of turning into steamed rice.
- Toasting the rice in butter before adding liquid adds flavor to the rice and helps keep it from becoming mushy during cooking and stirring.
- Adding asparagus to the final batch of broth will cook the asparagus without needing to cook the asparagus in the pan the entire time.
- Parmesan cheese and extra butter are stirred into the risotto without heat to add flavor without overcooking.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice is added before the broth. Adding it this way results in more lemon flavor in the rice than adding it toward the end of cooking.
- Constant stirring releases starch from the rice into the broth, giving risotto a creamy texture that sets it apart from other cooked rice dishes.
Ingredients
- •4 cups chicken broth (divided)
- •3 tbsp butter (divided)
- •4 shallots (finely chopped)
- •4 cloves garlic (pressed)
- •1 cup arborio rice
- •2 tbsp lemon juice
- •½ lb thin asparagus (optional; ends trimmed and stalks cut into about 1 1/2-inch pieces)
- •⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- •salt (to taste)
- •freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- •fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)
- •1 tsp lemon zest (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan until warm and at a slow simmer; do not boil.
- 2
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until translucent.
- 3
Stir in the garlic and cook for 20 seconds.
- 4
Stir in the arborio rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until coated in butter and lightly toasted. Stir in the lemon juice.
- 5
Stir 1/2 cup of chicken broth into the rice until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue adding broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring after each addition and adding the next portion when the previous one is absorbed.
- 6
When you reach the last 1/2 cup of broth, add the asparagus, then stir in the remaining broth. Cook for 2 more minutes, until the risotto is done and the asparagus is tender; the total risotto cooking time is about 20 to 25 minutes.
- 7
Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
- 8
Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Add more lemon juice if desired, garnish with black pepper, parsley, and lemon zest, and serve.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
382
Calories
15g
Protein
14g
Fat
51g
Carbs
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