Spring Pea, Asparagus and Broad Bean Risotto Recipe
This delicious lemony pea, broad bean and asparagus risotto is loaded with fresh spring flavours and is cooked in the time-honoured way to deliver a beautifully creamy rice dish.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 642kcal
Ingredients
- 125 g Risotto Rice ⅔ Cup
- 1 Medium Echalion or Banana Shallot 50g
- 1 Lemon
- 50 g Butter 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 20-24 Thin Asparagus Spears 250g
- 100 g Frozen Peas ⅔ Cup
- 100 g Broad Beans ⅔ Cup
- 125 ml Dry White Wine ½ Cup
- 500-650 ml Vegetable Stock 2-2½ Cups
- 75 g Pecorino Cheese ¾ Cup
- Salt As required
Instructions
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Zest and juice the lemon, keeping them separate.
- Remove the woody ends from the asparagus, then cut the delicate tips off and cut the remaining stems into 5-6mm (¼") lengths.
- Defrost the peas by running them under cold water for a few minutes.
- Strip the broad beans from their leathery skin (defrosting them first if you are using frozen).
- Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat and when it is hot, add the butter. When the butter begins to foam, add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the risotto rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, until the edges of the rice start to become opaque.
- Pour in the white wine, add the lemon zest and stir until almost all of the wine has evaporated or absorbed; a starchy residue should start to form in the base of the pan.
- Have a taste of the stock before you get started, and add salt if you think that it needs it. Add a ladle of the hot vegetable stock to the pan and stir again until almost all of the stock has been absorbed and you have a similar white starchy residue in the base of the pan. Repeat until the rice has the tiniest of "bites" but is very nearly cooked.
- When you are adding the last bit of stock (this will be around 23-27 minutes into the cooking process), add lemon juice to taste and the chopped stems from the asparagus.
- Throw in the peas, asparagus tips and broad beans, followed by the grated Pecorino cheese.
- Give everything a stir, then remove from the heat and cover with a lid for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 642kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1899mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 11g
