Unlike last year, I celebrated Easter with a bit more fanfare – and food, including this spring vegetable risotto. That’s because Whole Foods Market surprised me with a gift card to restock my fridge and pantry upon returning home from SXSW Interactive.
Around the same time, I received the April issue of Food Network Magazine. As I was flipping through the pages, one recipe caught my eye: Ina Garten’s spring green risotto. Without a second thought, I resolved to make the dish for Easter – and then procured all the necessary ingredients with the grocery stipend.
I also invited my parents over to share the bounty. (My brother and his wife were out of town, so couldn’t attend the party.) No surprise, the spring vegetable risotto was a hit. It’s light, bright and creamy and can be served as an entrée or a side; being a holiday, we enjoyed pan-fried sausages and shrimp alongside the rice.
Special thanks to Whole Foods Market Silicon Valley for providing the groceries featured in this post.
Recipe adapted from Food Network.
- 1 pound asparagus, cut diagonally into 1½" pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- 1 cup diced fennel bulb (reserve fronds)
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- ⅔ cup dry white wine
- 1½ cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup grated Asiago cheese
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Prepare a medium bowl of ice water and set aside.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add asparagus and a pinch of salt and cook, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to the prepared ice bath to cool. Drain asparagus and set aside.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring broth to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, melt olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.
- Add Arborio rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Then add wine; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add ½ cup hot broth; simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost absorbed. Continue adding ½ cup hot broth in this manner until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes.
- Add peas, lemon zest and prepared asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and mascarpone cheese and stir until smooth.
- Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice and mascarpone cheese mixture and Asiago cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve immediately.
