Cookbooks
By Elisabeth Prueitt
4.7
(13)
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
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Delicate spring vegetables are well suited for a risotto, which is by its very nature a fairly neutral palette that can take on myriad flavors. Risotto achieves its creaminess because of the starchy and absorbent rice, usually arborio or carnaroli, that takes up well-seasoned stock and wine. It is not a dish to make ahead because even after you’re done cooking, the rice continues to absorb the thick sauce you’ve worked so hard to create. I’ve spent a lot of time making risotto in restaurants and, while doing so, learned one secret that makes the outcome within your control: Partially cook the risotto ahead of time, and then finish it just before you’re ready to serve. This way, the risotto only requires 10 or so minutes to finish, rather than its usual 20 to 30 minutes. This is especially useful for dinner guests and even family meals, when it can be difficult to estimate everyone’s timing. With pesto mixed in at the last minute, the whole dish becomes perfumed with basil and a vernal green.
Ingredients
4–6 servings
1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch/5cm lengths
8 oz/230g English peas, shelled
8 oz/230g sugar snap peas, stems and strings removed
6 oz/170g fiddlehead ferns (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cups/400g arborio or carnaroli rice
1 cup/240ml dry white wine
1 cup/240ml plus 1 qt/960ml chicken stock (homemade or store-bought), hot
2 tsp sea salt, plus more
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup/50g grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup/85g store-bought basil pesto
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the asparagus to the pot and blanch, just until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking, about 30 seconds. Transfer the asparagus to a colander to drain. Repeat with the English peas, sugar snap peas, and fiddleheads.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté just until translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Stir the wine into the rice, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring periodically, until the rice absorbs the wine, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup/240ml stock and 2 teaspoons salt, return to a simmer, and let cook until the liquid has been absorbed. Spread the rice mixture on a baking sheet and set aside until you are ready to finish the dish, or skip this step and keep cooking, continuing with adding the hot stock.
Step 4
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, return the rice mixture to the sauté pan and cook over medium heat. Stir 1 cup/240ml of the hot stock into the rice mixture and cook until the moisture has been nearly absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat for the remaining 3 cups/720ml of stock, adding 1 cup/240ml at a time. When you still see liquid pooling here and there in the pan, remove from the heat and stir in the blanched vegetables and the Parmesan. Quickly stir in the pesto and serve.
Step 5
Store risotto, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Do Ahead
Step 6
To prepare the risotto ahead of time, cook the vegetables and the rice up until you add the wine and 1 cup/240ml of stock. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, spread the rice and onion mixture on a baking sheet to hold until you’re ready to finish cooking. Just before dinner, return the rice to the pot and resume cooking until done.
Reprinted with permission from Tartine All Day: Modern Recipes for the Home Cook by Elisabeth Prueitt, copyright © 2017. Published by Lorena Jones Books/Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.
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Reviews (13)
Back to TopTriangleThis was very good. I think I would add a bit of lemon juice and zest next time. Very healthy recipe.
llk73
4/10/2021
This was delicious and very easy to make. I followed the recipe with the exception of using haricot vert instead of asparagus (that's what I had...). I probably would add a touch of red pepper flakes next time and finish off with a squeeze of lemon. Restaurant worthy and uses ingredients I pretty much always have on hand.
Anonymous
Silicon Valley
2/15/2021
I really liked this. Made half recipe using 4oz haricot vert for the asparagus, ~1.5TB shallot for the onion, Sauvignon Blanc, .5 tsp salt, 2.5 cups water mixed with 2.5 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken and 3TB pesto (the September 1996 'Basil Pesto' recipe from this website). It made quite a bit. Hoping it reheats well for seconds.
dustyb
NYC
10/7/2020
I used this recipe as a template. I cut the rice in half and used 4 cups of broth. Likewise I cut the vegetables in half. I used the full amount of Parmesan and pesto. It was delicious. I’ll make this again gladly.
fernjacobs1845
Texas
3/19/2020
Followed this exactly, minus the fiddleheads. Didn't get the bright green color, and didn't think that the asparagus really added any flavor. Would make again, with just the pesto and the snap peas.
leslier88
7/27/2019
Read this recipe more than once before starting it. The list of ingredients doesn't match the video (or is it the other way around?) but as a previous reviewer wrote, it's a forgiving dish. My risotto did not appear a spring green as anticipated, but it was scrumptious! Agree with the tip of using low sodium chicken stock as it was a tad salty.
atorres437
Los Angeles, CA
6/10/2019
I'm a bit confused by the "Store in the refrigerator" and the "Make Ahead". Can you cook the risotto all the way through to stirring in the pesto and then store it in the fridge? If you do that, how do you reheat and serve?
KisaVal
Long Island
4/13/2019
Outstanding, tasty, great with fish as a side dish.
selagana
Rye, NH
4/9/2019
Exquisite and easy! I would slightly chop up the asparagus and the sugar peas just to make eating it a little simpler but it could not be more delicious.
tishos
NJ
5/10/2017
This was really good, and very forgiving of variations in ingredients. I highly recommend low sodium chicken stock (and this from a salt lover!). There's plenty in the remainder of the recipe.
cbmcd
Pasadena, CA
4/24/2017
So right on about the prep suggestion. First read it in the NY Times on a Wednesday years ago written by Lespinesse NYC chef Christian Delouvrier (sp).... used the technique for years. This recipe rocks but the prep tip is the best ever. Cheers
astiffelman
St. Louis MO
4/6/2017
TagsRisottoAsparagusVegetablePeaBean and LegumeArborio RiceRiceMainSideDinnerNut FreeGluten FreeVegetarianWeeknight MealsSimmerEasterSpringCookbooks
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