Risotto with Asparagus, Zucchini, Date Tomatoes and Lemon Zests
Finally spring, with its beautiful produce. This early season offers us so many vegetables in different shades of green, wild herbs like carletti, bruscandoli and agretti, then peas, horse beans and artichokes. Today, though, my choice has fallen on asparagus.
I bought a bunch of green medium size asparagus, perfect both on their own and also for a nice risotto. A simple and quick dish, easy to prepare and with infinite variation. Mine happens to be totally green, as I added zucchini and date tomatoes and used a veg stock, but I won't deny that if I had some chicken stock at hand... probable I would have used that, just to add a little fat.
To replace the acidity traditionally given by white wine, I grated some lemon zests, which -together with the fennel leaves- made the risotto even more flavorful and fresh.
The recipe is here below, I hope you will enjoy it :)
RECIPE
RISOTTO WITH ASPARAGUS, ZUCCHINI, DATE TOMATOES AND LEMON ZESTS
Ingredients (for 2):
160 gr Arborio rice (or Vialone Nano)
100 gr asparagus
2 small zucchini
6/8 date tomatoes
1 garlic clove
black pepper
1 organic lemon
1/2 lt vegetable -or chicken if you prefer- stock (prepared in advance)
fennel leaves to garnish (or other herb of choice)
Method:
Wash the vegetables and chop thinly. Keep the top of the asparagus aside, separated from the rest.
Bring your pre-prepared stock to the boil, add salt and lower the heat. Let simmer.
Heat a pan, add a few drops of e.v.o.oil and when it starts popping add a crushed clove of garlic and the chopped vegetables. Lower the heat and after a couple of minutes remove the garlic and add the rice to toast it. Finally, start adding the stock little by little, giving the time to the rice to absorb it and keep stirring for the entire cooking time (read rice pack, usually 15-18 minutes). In the final five minutes, add the tops of the asparagus.
Once ready, grate a few lemon zests, grind some black pepper and garnish with fennel leaves or other herb of choice.
