1 pound asparagus
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 ½ cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim the tough ends from the asparagus, discarding the bottom third of each stalk. Cut off the asparagus tips and reserve. Cut the stalks into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-long pieces. Set aside. Heat the broth to boiling in a small pot. In a wide sauté pan, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender but not brown, about eight minutes. Add the rice and stir for one minute, until all the grains are coated and shiny. Add the wine and stir until absorbed, about one minute. Add a ladle of hot broth (about 1/2 cup), along with the chopped rosemary. Simmer until the liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time until it’s absorbed, and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add the asparagus stalk pieces and continue adding the broth until the rice is almost cooked, about 10–15 minutes longer. The rice should be al dente (still slightly firm) and the risotto should be loose and creamy, not gummy or dry.
Add the asparagus tips and continue cooking until the rice is just tender and the mixture is creamy, adding broth as needed and stirring often, for about five minutes longer. Stir in one cup of the Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow rimmed bowls, topped with the remaining Parmesan and a grinding of pepper. Serves two heartily as a main dish, or four with other courses.
Recipe from The Girl Can’t Cook, which along with its follow-up The Guy Can’t Cook, is a perfect handbook for all of those “just starting out” cooks at and after college, and anyone who wants to enjoy more fresh, local, healthy food by cooking from scratch.
