Asparagus Risotto

Delicate and creamy Asparagus Risotto has a nice light green colour that recalls your senses to the fresh and soft meadows, spring breeze and sunshine. 
Asparagus is rich in Vitamins A, B and C and has a slight diuretic effect. This is what we need to prepare for summer and loose some weight eating delicious but light dishes.  


INGREDIENTS:
Servings: 2

250g asparagus
160g rice 
1/2 small onion
50ml of white wine
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
Parmigiano cheese
50g butter / EVO oil  

1. Peel the asparagus: using the vegetable peeler, peel the lower half of the spears, the hard part till the part that starts being flexible if you bend the asparagus.
2. Cut the upper 1/3 of the asparagus.

3. Cover the lower part of the asparagus with water just enough to cover it. Keet the asparagus tips aside.
4. Cook the asparagus for about 7-8 minutes, then add the asparagus tips and cook for 3-5 minutes more.
5. Drain the asparagus and keep the water.
6. Cut the peeled carrot and celery stalk into small parts and boil with the asparagus water for 10  
 minutes. This is how we prepare the vegetable broth that we'll use for risotto.

7. Chop the onion finely and simmer it with some butter till the onion gets transparent at a low heat.
Note: You may use the EVO oil if you are allergic or intollerant to butter... 
8. Add unwashed rise to the onion and stir well till rice gets transparent as well as the onion.
Note: Never wash rice for Italian Risotto!!!
    
9. Splash some white wine to the rice and keep cooking at a low heat till the wine looses it's particular smell.
10. Simmer your risotto adding half a glass of the veg. broth when it gets too dry and keep stirring. Cook for about 18 minutes (depends on a type of rice you use)

11. Puree the lower parts of asparagus with a blender.


 

12. Cut the upper parts of asparagus spears in halves and keep the very tips for decoration, cut the rest into thin disks. 

13. Add the asparagus puree and chopped asparagus to risotto and salt it with a couple of pinches of salt, try if it's enough. 
14. Stir well and cook for 3 more minutes.

15. Switch off the heat and add handful of grated Parmigiano cheese.


16. Decorate risotto with the asparagus tips and serve with some extra grated Parmigiano to your liking.

   ENJOY !!! Buon Appetito!!!