Asparagus Goat Cheese Risotto

5 from 2 votes

Asparagus Goat Cheese Risotto

This creamy, spring risotto is made with fresh asparagus and goat cheese. Whether you need a fancy dinner party meal or an easy weeknight dinner, this risotto is the perfect answer (made in just 30 minutes).

Prep Time30

Cook Time24

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 369kcal

Author: Jessica Mode

Equipment

saucepan
ladle

Ingredients

32 ounces vegetable stock
8 ounces asparagus woody stem removed and finely chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
1 ½ cups arborio rice
¾ cup dry white wine
4 ounces goat cheese
1 ¼ teaspoons Morton kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
Heat vegetable stock in a medium saucepan over medium high heat until boiling. Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes, just until slightly softened. Remove with a slotted spoon (to save the stock), and transfer to the ice water immediately to stop the cooking.
Roughly chop 4 tablespoons (56 grams) of butter into small, ¼ inch (½ cm) pieces, and place in the freezer.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add arborio rice to the saucepan and toast the rice until it’s translucent, about 4–6 minutes. You don’t want the rice to take on any color, so turn down the heat if you see browning.
Add white wine and cook until the rice has absorbed all the wine. Ladle ¾ cup (175 ml) hot stock into the large saucepan, just until the rice is covered. Once the rice has absorbed about half of the stock, add in another ½ cup (120 ml) of hot stock. Continue this process until the rice is tender, but still has a bite to it. From the time you add in the first ladle of hot stock, it should take about 16 minutes to fully cook the rice. Once ready, the rice will still have a bite to it and look a little soupy.
Drain the asparagus. Remove the risotto from heat, and add asparagus and frozen butter to the rice and stir until incorporated. Season with goat cheese, salt, and pepper. To serve, ladle the risotto on a plate, and tap the bottom of the plate to spread the risotto into a thin layer.

Notes

If you notice the risotto starts to firm up, heat and add a small addition of stock to keep the risotto creamy as you are serving.

If you're serving this for a dinner party, I'd suggest using carnaroli or vialone nano rice as it can withstand a longer serving time without seizing up.

Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Nutrition