Asparagus Risotto

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil until it is hot but not smoking. Stir in the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs. of the parsley and all of the rice. Stir to toast the rice lightly and coat it with the oil. Stir in the canned asparagus with its liquid plus 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) of the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add more chicken broth, 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 l) at a time, stirring frequently and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid after each addition, until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes. (If you’re using fresh asparagus tips, add them with the last ladleful of broth.) The rice should have a slight resistance to the bite. If it seems too hard, add a little bit more liquid and continue cooking for another minute or two.

Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley, the butter, extra-virgin olive oil and Parmesan. Using a wooden spoon, whip the mixture to bring out the creaminess of the rice and to incorporate all of the ingredients. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Variations: White canned asparagus may be used in place of green asparagus. Also, stirring in 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves at the end of the recipe makes a nice addition to this risotto. If using fresh asparagus, chop the tips off 1 lb. (500 g) asparagus and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining portion of the asparagus, discarding any woody stems. Stir the chopped asparagus into the risotto along with the first 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) of broth and proceed with the recipe as written. Add the asparagus tips along with the parsley, butter, olive oil and Parmesan.

You can make an even simpler version of this recipe by cooking the onion and parsley in olive oil, adding the rice, and gradually stirring in the 6 cups of chicken stock as described above, but omitting the asparagus. After seasoning the risotto with salt and pepper, stir in 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated or crumbled fontina, Gorgonzola or Gruyère cheese, which will add texture and flavor to this one-dish meal.

Recipe adapted from The Tucci Cookbook, by Stanley Tucci with Joan and Stan Tucci, Gianni Scappin and Mimi Taft (Gallery Books, 2012).