Stir Crazy! Spring Green Risotto

Have I told you that I'm going to Italy?

I am! 

I mean we are - Bob and me. Next week, if the Icelandic volcano gods are willing.

Per favore...let me get to Italy...

The itinerary goes something like this: Florence, Cinque Terre, Lucca then back to Florence.

I am open to any and all suggestions from my dear readers who have been to any of these bella places lately.

Grazie!

So in order to get my taste buds into moda Italiano, I made risotto last night.

A lovely, luscious, incredibly rich risotto. Brimming with green spring vegetables and earthy shiitake mushrooms,  then smoothed out with a big spoonful of mascarpone.

Risotto, if you haven't tried it, is arborio rice, cooked slowly in wine and broth. It absorbs all the liquid and becomes something else entirely.  It's Italian comfort food, in all its creamy goodness. Just right for a cool spring night.

I won't lie to you. Risotto is labor intensive and may take a bit of practice to get it just right. You must continue to add more broth, then stir and stir and DO NOT STOP until each grain of rice gives way when bitten. If you still feel a hardness inside the grain when you bite into it, you are not done. 

Add more broth and stir some more.

But don't be intimidated, mia amicas! It's not a particularly difficult technique. And if you get tired of stirring, ask someone else to take it on for a few minutes. Sipping a glass of vino while you stir is also very helpful.

Spring Green Risotto adapted from Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 Tbsps. olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsps. unsalted butter

2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

2/3 cup dry white wine

4 - 5 cups chicken stock, simmering in a saucepan on the stove

1 lb. asparagus, preferably thin

10 oz. peas, defrosted if frozen or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh peas

1/4 lb. shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced (optional)

1 Tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest

2 Tbsps. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup mascarpone

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

3 Tbsps. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cut the asparagus diagonally in 1 1/2" pieces, discarding tough ends.

Blanch in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and cooked al dente. Drain and cool.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. 

Add the leeks and saute until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the vegetables and fats.

 Add the white wine and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the chicken stock, 2 ladles-full at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the stock to be absorbed before adding more. When the risotto has been cooking for 15 minutes, add the asparagus, lemon zest, 2 tsps. coarse salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. 

Continue cooking, adding stock and stirring until the rice is tender but still firm. This should take 30-35 minutes, but could take a bit longer. Be patient!!

If you are using the mushrooms, saute them briefly in a small frying pan, with a teaspoon of olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Add to risotto when they are lightly browned and soft.

Whisk the the lemon juice into the mascarpone in a small bowl. When the risotto is done, take it off the heat and stir in mascarpone mixture, plus Parmesan and parsley. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Mangia!