Asparagus Risotto

Last night for dinner we had grilled mediterranean skewers from Omaha Steaks and a nice creamy risotto made with the Purple Asparagus from yesterday's market.  One thing I didn't know was the asparagus turns green when cooked.  Why buy purple asparagus if once cooked you can't tell the difference between the usual green asparagus and the purple?  But there is a difference.  It is very slight but you can tell if you steam it and eat it plain.  Purple asparagus has a very slight bitter taste (what I would call a "green" taste) than green asparagus.  Mixed in with the risotto you can't tell any difference.  The risotto was so good that my husband ate three portions and wants to do more risottos in the future.

Since my  husband and I usually never seem to be hungry at the same time I actually cooked the risotto about 3/4 of the way through about an hour before we ate.  Because the skewers take about 15 minutes from freezer to plate, it worked out really well as there was only 15 minutes left on the risotto.

Asparagus Risotto

(Serves 4)

printable recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup onion, small diced

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon light olive oil

4 cups chicken stock (or combination water, wine and stock)

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1 bunch asparagus

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium high heat until hot, add onions and saute until translucent.

2. Add garlic and rice and saute until the rice is slightly toasted.

3. Add the liquid 1 cup at a time until the rice is creamy and cooked through.

4. Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese is melted.

5. Cut the woody ends off the asparagus and cook in boiling salted water for about 3-4 minutes.

6. Cool down the asparagus in ice water.  The asparagus can be cooked and waiting before you start the risotto.

7. Add the asparagus to the risotto until heated and serve immediately.