Description
This creamy Risotto with Asparagus recipe is one of the most delicious things we make. We’ve topped our favorite healthy, hearty (and pretty) green risotto with pan-seared sea scallops and crumbled sheets of smoky fried prosciutto. This risotto cooks in just 20 minutes once all of the components are ready and it’s restaurant-level good. Blanched and pan-seared asparagus, sweet baby peas, extra virgin olive oil, onion, and Grana Padano cheese give this creamy risotto its balanced flavor and beautiful color. Delicate slices of Italian Speck and Prosciutto di Parma are fried until crispy and used as a crunchy topper to complement the flavor of the sweet scallops and to add a little extra texture. But if you’re looking for a vegetarian asparagus risotto, just omit the prosciutto and scallops because this risotto stands up on its own. This is a perfect recipe for any time, but it makes a beautiful presentation for Easter lunch or Mother’s Day. And for anyone who may be new to cooking risotto, I’ve included step-by-step recipe photos at the end of the post.
Ingredients
Scale
Risotto Ingredients
- 6 ounces Risotto rice (Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano) (160g)
- up to 4 cups of homemade vegetable stock (or store-bought chicken or vegetable stock) (1L) *recipe below if needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (15g)
- 1/2 shallot, minced (or small piece of onion)
- 12 ounces fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed (375g)
- 1/4 cup frozen sweet peas (60g)
- 7 ounces asparagus cleaned and trimmed (200g)
- 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter (25g)
- 2 tablespoons Grana Padano grated cheese, or more to taste (or Parmigiano) (15g)
- 1 1/2 ounces (2 to 3 slices) Italian Speck (or Prosciutto di Parma, pancetta, or bacon) (40g)
Pan-Seared Scallops Ingredients
- 6 sea scallops (3 per serving)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (14g)
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Homemade Quick Vegetable Stock Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 carrot
- 1/2 of celery stalk
- 1/2 of an onion
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the asparagus. Wash and trim the asparagus to remove the tough ends (which will be used in the vegetable stock). Then trim the spears off of the tops (which will be used as garnish). Slice the remaining middle sections into thin rounds and set them aside.
- Make the vegetable stock. In a medium pot, add all of the vegetable stock ingredients including the tough asparagus ends, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the other risotto components. *You will need to heat the stock again and keep it hot while you’re adding it to the risotto later on.
- Fry + crumble the prosciutto (or bacon). In a medium skillet, cook the prosciutto until golden brown and crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Crumble into small pieces and set aside.
- Dry the scallops. Place the raw scallops onto a plate lined with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry all over. Set aside.
- Blanch the peas. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add the sweet peas, and blanch for approximately 1 minute until the peas turn bright green and float to the top. Remove them using a strainer and place them into the bowl of a food processor or blender.
- Blanch the sliced asparagus rounds. In the same pot of boiling water, add the sliced asparagus rounds and cook for approximately 1 minute until bright green. Remove the blanched asparagus using a strainer and place half of them into the food processor with the peas, reserving the other half to be stirred into the risotto.
- Purée blanched peas + asparagus rounds. Turn on the food processor and blend the peas and asparagus until smooth and bright green. Set aside.
- Blanch the sliced asparagus spears + sautée them. Using the same boiling water, blanch the asparagus spears for approximately 1 minute until bright green. Remove them from the water, pat them dry and place them into the pre-heated skillet you just cooked the prosciutto in. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cook the spears in a single layer on high heat until golden brown and then flip. Season with salt and allow the asparagus to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more and remove them from the skillet. Add the remaining 1/2 of blanched asparagus rounds to the skillet and sauté for a couple of minutes and remove to a bow.
- Cook the risotto (total cooking time 20 minutes max). In a medium pot, add the olive oil and onion (or shallot) and sauté on medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until the onion is fragrant and translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spatula (or risotto spoon) until toasted (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add about 1 cup of hot stock to the rice, stirring constantly, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Adjust the salt as needed. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, add another cup of hot stock and continue stirring allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Adjust the salt as needed. About halfway through cooking the risotto, turn the heat down to low and add 1/2 of the pea and asparagus purée and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) while you prepare the scallops.
- Pan-sear the scallops (total cooking time 3 minutes max). Season the scallops on both sides with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add a little olive oil to the same skillet the prosciutto was cooked in and heat it to medium-high. As soon as the skillet starts to smoke, add the scallops one at a time in a single layer, and do not overcrowd them. Do not move them once they hit the hot skillet. Allow scallops to cook for at least 1 1/2 minutes, or until they have a nice golden brown sear on them. Flip them over and cook for approximately 1 to 2 more minutes for a total cooking time of just 3 minutes for larger scallops. Set them aside while you finish the risotto.
- Finish + assemble the risotto. When the risotto has just about 5 minutes left to cook, add the sautéed asparagus rounds to the pot and stir. Adjust the seasoning if needed and add the butter and the last of the pea and asparagus purée. Stir everything to combine and continue cooking for a minute or two until the risotto is creamy and al dente. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the grated cheese to combine. You may add a little more stock to loosen up the risotto if necessary. Top the risotto with asparagus spears, scallops, and more grated cheese (if desired), and Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Italian
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
