Asparagus pesto risotto

You won’t see this dish very often but the flavours will not disappoint.

60 mins Cook 3.1k Views
Risotto with asparagus

Fresh green asparagus with creamy silky smooth arborio rice all made in a rice cooker for convenience and flavour enhancement.

AuthorHungry PandaCategoryDifficultyBeginner

Yields4 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time40 minsTotal Time1 hr

INGREDIENTS
 1500 ml well-seasoned hot chicken or vegetable stock
 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
 ½ cup minced onion
 pinches salt to taste
 2 rice measuring cups arborio rice
 1 clove garlic, minced
 250 ml dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
 340 g asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
 60 g cup pesto, to taste
 2 to 4 tbsp parmesan, to taste

HOW TO MAKE
1

Heat olive oil in your rice cooker bowl and continue to heat using the SLOW COOK function. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.

2

Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir
until it is no longer visible in the bowl. Add the warm stock until it just covers the rice or near to the level 2 level line for SHORT GRAIN.

3

Now set the cooking function to SHORT GRAIN and press START with the lid closed.

4

After 20 minutes, add asparagus and stir .

5

Wait for the rice cooker to finish and the rice should be al dente. Function change to KEEP WARM.

6

Add another spoon of stock to the rice if necessary.

7

Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t).

8

Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS
 1500 ml well-seasoned hot chicken or vegetable stock
 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
 ½ cup minced onion
 pinches salt to taste
 2 rice measuring cups arborio rice
 1 clove garlic, minced
 250 ml dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
 340 g asparagus, trimmed and cut in 1-inch lengths
 60 g cup pesto, to taste
 2 to 4 tbsp parmesan, to taste

Directions

HOW TO MAKE
1

Heat olive oil in your rice cooker bowl and continue to heat using the SLOW COOK function. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt, and cook gently until it is just tender, about 3 minutes. Do not brown.

2

Stir in rice and garlic and stir until the grains separate and begin to crackle. Add wine and stir
until it is no longer visible in the bowl. Add the warm stock until it just covers the rice or near to the level 2 level line for SHORT GRAIN.

3

Now set the cooking function to SHORT GRAIN and press START with the lid closed.

4

After 20 minutes, add asparagus and stir .

5

Wait for the rice cooker to finish and the rice should be al dente. Function change to KEEP WARM.

6

Add another spoon of stock to the rice if necessary.

7

Stir in pesto and additional cheese and remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Mix should be creamy (add more stock if it isn’t).

8

Serve right away in wide soup bowls or on plates, spreading in a thin layer rather than a mound.

Notes

Asparagus pesto risotto
IngredientsDirections

For some extra crunch you can fry some pine nuts and add towards the end of
the rice cooking. If you want an extra cheesy bit then substitute the parmesan
for cheddar cheese.