Ciao, Bella. Risotto Primavera just sounds so exotic, doesn’t it? Like you should say it with an Italian accent.
I got a bug in my bonnet this week to make this luxurious dish after a recent date night at a fantastic Italian place here in town. They had arancini (fried rice balls) with a ridiculously delicious duck & pork ragu. <shudder> So good I almost needed to be alone for a moment.
The antipasti rice balls got me craving a good risotto, which is generally what arancini are made out of (stay tuned to see what that may look like!). And as luck would have it, I happened to have fresh asparagus, frozen peas, arborio rice, chicken broth, and of course WINE–everything I needed to make this risotto primavara already in my pantry and refrigerator. Perfetto!
Strangely enough, the idea came together after a chat with our waiter that night. He is working toward opening his own food truck, and is a real foodie himself, so we got chatting about various ingredients and dishes. He mentioned that our local grocery store had Ahi Tuna on sale, and that he’d made an Ahi Poke (a Hawaiian fish salad) with it the night before.
I headed to the store the very next day, and sure enough there it was–Ahi Tuna for a great price. Those beautiful little steaks were the perfect protein to serve alongside this Risotto Primavera.
And with that, a mid-week dinner was born.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 30-40 minutes |
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"Primavera" is generally used to describe a pasta or rice recipe that is full of spring vegetables, such as peas, asparagus, broad beans, and the like. Lucky for most of us, these ingredients are available well into the summer depending on where we live. And lucky for me, I was able to turn it into a simple and delicious risotto dish. Don't be afraid of leftovers, either. The flavors just meld and get more intense the next day. Yum!
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- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup arborio rice (see note about arborio rice)
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup frozen, shelled peas
- 1 cup asparagus, sliced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
- In a medium saucepan, heat the broth over medium high heat. Once it comes to a vigorous simmer, lower heat and keep warm.
- In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter. Add scallions and saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add arborio rice, and stir to coat. Stir constantly to toast rice, about 4 minutes.
- Add white wine, and stir until it evaporates, about 1 minute. Begin adding broth 1 cup at time to the rice, stirring constantly to help release starch in the rice and create a creamy consistency.
- Add asparagus and peas, stirring to incorporate. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but remain crisp tender.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, making sure to incorporate so that the cheese doesn't clump.
- At this time, check the consistency of the risotto. The rice should be cooked through, but still firm to the tooth when tested. You want a creamy consistency, but not runny. If the risotto is too firm, add more broth or water by the 1/4 cup and stir to incorporate until you reach the desired consistency. This is also where you may want to adjust the flavor with salt and/or pepper to your taste.
- It's time for the secret ingredient--lemon! Squeeze the juice of 1/2 of a lemon into the risotto and mix thoroughly. This adds a fantastic brightness to the veggies in the dish.
- Serve immediately for a delicious nod to spring and summer vegetables!
A few notes on risotto:
- Arborio rice is used almost exclusively when making risotto. The reason is that this short grain rice has more starch in it than other rices, which releases when mixed with liquid and stirred vigorously. It's this starch that gives the rice that creamy consistency that is the hallmark of a good risotto. Trust me--you want to make sure you're using the right rice in this dish.
- Stirring is the key here. I know it takes a little more time, forcing you to stand at the stove the whole time this dish cooks. But again, the constant stirring helps ensure that the aforementioned starches are released in a consistent manner, and you achieve the creaminess you really want (no, really. You really do want that).
- Use a wooden spoon. Now this sounds silly, doesn't it? But because you want the rice to be treated with love here, a wooden spoon is much more gentle than a metal or plastic spoon. I've tried making risotto with other utensils, and I'll be darned if it doesn't make a difference. If you're anything like me, you have a ton of different wooden spoons in your kitchen, so grab one and get stirring!
- And what Italian dish is complete without wine? While the wine pairing for something like risotto will change depending on what you have in the dish, this particular Risotto Primavera screams out for a light-bodied white wine with just a little acidity to it. I am a big fan of a Soave for dishes like this. Never heard of it? Check it out--you won't be disappointed. This wine is definitely a "food wine" in my book, meaning I think it's better WITH food than on its own. I've paired Soave previously when making a multi-course Italian wine dinner (I was feeling ambitious), and it was a hit with a dish that had similar flavor profiles. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Yum! What a delicious looking risotto! I think the way to my heart would be if my husband made this for me, haha. I never have the patience to stand and stir.
Yes, I do want creamy! Risotto is a favorite.
So now I’ve got that bug in my bonnet too….Great recipe and post. Delicious, Dee Dee!
Ooh I bet a yummy Soave would be an excellent pairing for this dish. Nice choice! This risotto looks like the perfect way to celebrate a combo of spring and summer veggies.
I love risotto and this looks just perfect!