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spring green risotto

April 19, 2010 by 2 Comments

I’m staying with my Aunt Penny and Uncle Mike in Kansas City for the next four weeks and we decided to kick off my stay here by (what else?) cooking a fabulous meal.  We made salmon that I will be posting the recipe for soon and served it with grilled asparagus and this spring green risotto.  

This is another recipe from Ina Garten, and I have yet to make something from her cookbook Back to Basics that is less than perfect.  I have made risotto a few times before and while they were all really tasty, they always seemed to include heavier flavors.  Not so with this risotto.  The lemon zest really lightens up the flavor, and the cooked leaks get all velvety and melt in your mouth.  
The original recipe included asparagus which would be another great spring vegetable to add but we were grilling asparagus, so I decided to skip it in the risotto.  Ina also used marscapone cheese (which is kind of pricey) instead of cream cheese, but it still turned out incredibly creamy.  

Penny has demanded politely asked that I include a quote from her for everything that I make and blog about.  Quote for this recipe: “This is the best risotto I have ever had.”  Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
Spring Green Risotto
adapted from Ina Garten’s Back to Basics
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, minced
3 cups leeks, chopped, green and white parts (about 2 leeks)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup cream cheese cut into pieces
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
3 tbsp chopped green onions
Directions:
Heat chicken stock in medium pan over medium heat.  Once simmer, reduce heat to low and keep warm. 
In a separate large saucepan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Add shallots and leeks and saute 7 minutes, until they are tender.  
Add the arborio rice and toss to coat with olive oil, letting it cook for 1 minute.  Add the white wine and let simmer until it has been absorbed.  
Add the chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, waiting until the broth has been completely absorbed before adding more, and stirring constantly.  After about 15 minutes of stirring, add peas, lemon zest, and salt and pepper.  Continue adding broth and cooking until all is added and it is completely absorbed.  This entire process should take 25-30 minutes.  
When it is completely absorbed, add the lemon juice, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese, and mix completely.  Serve immediately, and top with parmesan and green onions.  
Ina says it makes 6 servings but they are BIG servings!


This was shared at Crumbs and Chaos’ Seasonal Inspirations!  

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Filed Under: leeks, lemon, peas, risotto, side dish, vegetarian

Comments

  1. sarah (Catch A Cub In Its Den) says:
    April 19, 2010 at 10:55 pm

    Best risotto she’s ever had, you say? Well, considering I am a big fan of the stuff, guess I’ll just have to try it out!

    Reply
  2. aldean.edwards says:
    April 26, 2010 at 12:17 pm

    Mmmmmm….creamy, lemony deliciousness…fantastic!

    Reply

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