Lemon and Asparagus Risotto – Seasonal Succulence in a Bowl.

Last Updated on October 26, 2024

A Frugal but Fancy Risotto that will Impress your Friends.

Looking for a recipe that will impress without costing the earth? This seasonal risotto is creamy, delicious and fragrant with lemon and asparagus. If you’ve never made risotto before this is one to try.

What Makes Lemon and Asparagus Risotto So Special

The English asparagus season is quite short – it runs from St George’s Day on the 23rd of April through to the Summer Solstice (21st of June). We grew asparagus in the garden when I was a child. I can remember my mum complaining that even though spears popped up much earlier in some years and there was always plenty to harvest after the Summer Solstice she was banned from doing so. Apparently, next year’s crop would be ruined if she broke the rules. This is a dish to make with local, seasonal asparagus – you’ll notice the difference especially if you can buy yours from a farmers’ market or even directly from the grower. But, of course, you can make it with imported asparagus all year round if, like me, you get a little addicted to this delicious comfort food.

Ingredients

You’ll need very few ingredients to make the perfect lemon and asparagus risotto. But, although there are some great substitutions you can make, it’s important to use the best quality you can get hold of for this recipe.

Risotto Rice: Don’t try to make risotto with any other kind of rice than classic Italian risotto rice. There are two main kinds which are easily available in the UK from supermarkets. Arborio rice is short-grained with a high starch content. Carnaroli rice has a slightly longer grain and will absorb more liquid as it cooks. If you are buying your risotto rice from an Italian deli you may be offered other choices such as Baldo, Vialone Nano, Roma or Sant’Andrea. The main differences will be in the amount of stock you need and in the cooking time for the risotto. I used Gallo brand Carnaroli rice which is a reliable option.

Stock: I made my own chicken stock for this risotto. I regularly buy chicken carcasses to make stock and, with the addition of a few herbs and vegetables I can make a litre of double-strength stock in 45 minutes using my instant pot. My chicken carcasses came from Swaledale – the online butcher I use as often as possible for recipes like this lamb curry.

If you prefer not to make your own stock, you can use shop-bought fresh chicken stock, bouillon or even water. Of course, if you want to make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish then you should use the appropriate stock or water.

Dry White Wine or Vermouth: I keep dry vermouth in the fridge to use for cooking (and occasionally to drink). When I have an open bottle of wine I’ll use a glass of that instead of the vermouth.

Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter in this recipe but my own preference to use unsalted because that allows me to manage the final seasoning more easily. You can also replace the butter with olive oil for a vegan version of this dish.

Asparagus: This dish works best with fine spears of English asparagus which only need to be trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces. If you can only find thick spears then you may need to half your asparagus lengthwise too and remove any pithy part from the lower stems

Unwaxed Lemon: This recipe uses the juice and zest of a lemon so it is important to use an unwaxed lemon if possible. If you are using a waxed lemon, scrub the skin well and let it dry before zesting to remove as much as possible of the wax.

Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese: You can use either but please don’t buy it ready-grated. It’s possible to buy vegetarian versions but obviously not vegan – if you are trying to make a vegan risotto you can substitute your own favourite vegan cheese substitute.

Equipment you need for Risotto

Heavy-based pan: To make sure that your risotto doesn’t burn, you’ll need a good saucepan. That’s really about it.

Risotto Spoon: Italians use a special wooden risotto spoon with a hole in the bowl. That’s supposed to help the mantecare – the process which helps to ensure your risotto has the perfect creamy finish. I use a long-handled wooden spoon and never have any problem making risotto.

Making your Risotto

The key thing to remember when making risotto is that you need patience and care. Throughout the process, you will be stirring your risotto almost continuously. There’s time to take a swig of wine, but you shouldn’t just leave your risotto to cook itself or you’ll end up with a sticky mess.

At the very start, you’ll melt butter or heat oil in your pan, then gently toast the rice till it turns slightly transparent.

Then add wine or vermouth and bring the mix to a boil, stirring continuously.

Throughout the cooking process you need to keep letting the liquid be absorbed by the rice before you add more, ideally without letting your risotto go off the boil. To help with that your stock should be kept piping hot throughout the process. I use the microwave to reheat mine as I’m cooking.

You can add the asparagus right at the end of the cooking process for just a few minutes, or if you prefer steam it in the microwave and add it hot just before serving. I prefer to add my asparagus raw to keep all the flavour and nutrients in the risotto.

Finally, because you are gradually reducing the liquid that you are using, be careful not to overseason your risotto at the start or to use too strong a stock.

Substitutions and Variations

This recipe can easily be made vegetarian or vegan by using oil rather than butter and a suitable stock or water.

If you want to add more vegetables then finely diced onion and celery can be added to the butter/oil at the start of the dish and cooked gently till soft before you add in the rice. I would advise doing this if you are making a veggie or vegan lemon and asparagus risotto to add more depth of flavour. It’s also a good way to reduce the overall calorie count of a bowlful.

I often add scraps of chicken to asparagus and lemon risotto – one of the advantages of making my own chicken stock is that I am left with the pickings from the carcass which I prefer not to waste.

You can also add crispy scraps of pancetta at the end for a bit of textural contrast as I have done in this recipe for Wild Garlic Risotto

Finally, the asparagus season coincides rather conveniently with the end of the wild garlic season. I’ve added pretty wild garlic flowers as a garnish and to add just a note of extra flavour.

How to Store Lemon and Asparagus Risotto

This is a dish that tastes best eaten freshly cooked and hot. But, if you have leftover lemon and asparagus risotto you can store it overnight in the fridge and reheat it for 2 minutes in the microwave or on the hob with a splash of water, wine or even cream to stop it drying out.

Lemon and Asparagus Risotto is not a great dish to freeze.

What to eat with Lemon and Asparagus Risotto

This is a good main course served with a green salad on the side. This mint and cucumber salad would make an excellent accompaniment for lemon and asparagus risotto, perhaps with some rocket (arugula) leaves on the side

Lemon and asparagus risotto also makes a great side dish for roast chicken, lamb or fish dishes. You can top a bowl of lemon and asparagus with pan-fried fish or serve it with a whole baked fish like this sea bream with wild garlic butter

Frequently Asked Questions about Making Risotto

What’s Left to Say?

Do let me know if you try this recipe. I’ve added a printable recipe card at the bottom for my lemon and asparagus risotto – enough for two people as a main course or four for a starter. Once you’ve made it, I’m sure you’ll be back to try it again.

Enjoy!