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spring pea and asparagus in a white serving bowl with chopped basil on top and a sliced lemon.
Cassidy Osgood

Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto Recipe

This creamy spring pea and asparagus risotto is SO decadent, made with fresh lemon juice and Romano cheese, it's the perfect dish to make this spring! This meal is versatile, its can be side dish or served as an entrée with a grilled protein on top.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people as a main dish
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tbsp butter salted, divided (1 & 2 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 1 leek whites only, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 small shallot finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 bunch asparagus top 2 inches sliced into 1 inch pieces (about one cup). See notes.
  • 1 cup frozen sweet peas thawed
  • ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup Romano cheese finely grated, plus more for topping
  • 2 tsp lemon zest one small lemon
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice half of a small lemon
  • ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
  • 2 tsp truffle oil for drizzling

Method
 

  1. Prepare the asparagus by first cutting off the tips and then cut off more inch. Discard the remainder of the stems.
  2. Prepare the leeks by slicing off the green top of the leek, and discarding. Only use the portion that is white and where it begins to turn light green. Slice into 1/4 inch rounds.
  3. In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium low heat. Sauté the leeks for 3 minutes.
  4. Add the diced shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic (4 cloves), and cook for another minute.
  5. Add the arborio rice (1 c) and stir, coating it in the oil. Cook for 1 minute.
  6. Add the white wine (½ c) and stir for 1-2 minutes, until it is absorbed.
  7. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, while stirring. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until absorbed, continuing to stir every minute. You must continue to stir during this entire process!
  8. Once the first cup of chicken broth is absorbed, repeat the process and add another cup of broth (only 1 cup at a time). Stir for 5-6 minutes until absorbed. Repeat with a 3rd cup of broth, this time is may take 6-7 minutes to absorb.
  9. With the 4th and final cup of broth, add the peas (1 c) and the asparagus (1 c). Stir and cook until absorbed, 8-10 minutes.
  10. Once the broth is absorbed and the rice looks creamy and no longer like soup, stir in the lemon zest (2 tsp), lemon juice (1 tbsp), mascarpone (⅓ c) until the mascarpone is completely melted. Test and add the salt to taste (I use 1 tsp, but every broth varies on saltiness) and turn off the heat.
  11. Stir in the remaining butter (2 tbsp) and the Romano cheese (1 c). Stir in the chopped basil (¼ cup) and the truffle oil to taste (I use 2 tsp). Serve with more grated Romano on top.

Notes

  1. For the asparagus, we will only use the top third of the stem. First cut off the top tips, then cut down one more inch (see post pictures for reference).asparagus on a cutting board with the top 2 inches cut off next to a chef's knife.
  2. For the leeks, discard the top dark green part, and only use the stalk. See picture for reference.A leek on a cutting board sliced into 1/4 inch rounds up to the dark green top of the leek.