Spring Green Risotto is where comfort food meets the vibrance of spring produce! It is filled with peas, leeks, and bright lemon zest and so full of flavor.
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.
Butter & Olive Oil
Shallots
Leeks
Arborio Rice - the best type of rice to use for risotto!
White Wine - you can also use additional chicken broth, if you don't want to use wine. I like it as an excuse to open a bottle and sip a glass while I cook 🙂
Peas - frozen peas work great here.
Chicken Broth
Lemon - the juice and zest are used in this recipe
Parmesan cheese - freshly grated or shredded is best!
Green Onions or Chives - sprinkled on at the end
Yes! This recipe is actually based off of hers, but changed slightly. Ina adds marscapone cheese to hers at the end, but I choose to omit it. I find it's super creamy even without it! Ina also adds fennel which I don't prefer and asparagus, which I did not add this time.
Absolutely. I love adding some sautéed asparagus or chopped artichokes to this risotto. This is especially true when I treat it as a main dish. The extra vegetables make it a big heartier for a vegetarian dinner.
It can be either. This time around, I served it as a side dish with roasted chicken, but as I mentioned above, I have also served it as a vegetarian main dish.
Unfortunately, risotto does not do well being made too far in advance. It is best served hot and immediately after it has been cooked. If it is allowed to cool and rest for awhile, it will become sticky. If you really need to make it in advance, plan to add more liquid while reheating it, to help it become creamy again.
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!
Mmmmmm....creamy, lemony deliciousness...fantastic!