Lemon Asparagus Risotto

1 cup – You will need to use a proper risotto rice when you make this dish for a reason. They have more starch which provides that signature creamy consistency. The easiest to find is Arborio, but Vialone Nano and Carnaroli are two premium options if you can find them.

6 cups – You can use vegetable stock if you want to make this dish vegetarian (or vegan with other substitutions as well) but the msot important thing is to make it homemade. Or at the very least buy a high quality store-bought version.

1 cup – Normally I always recommend Lillet Blanc which is a French fortified wine, however I have not been able to find it for sale for a couple months. This time I subbed in Carpano Dry (pictured) and I found it also works well, although I’d still go with Lillet as the slight sweetness balances the lemon better.

This is different than white asparagus but you are probably more used to the green version anyways. Aim for fresh skinny shoots as they have the best flavor.

Finely diced

Zested with a microplane and juiced

minced

a little less than half of an American stick – European butter, 82% fat minimum

To taste. You can also use another hard salty cheese like Grana Padano, Gran Biraghi, or Pecorino Romano in this recipe. I actually used biraghi in this recipe, and often use grana padano, but I always recommend Parmigiano since it is the easiest to find in most places.

If needed. I have salted my stock and the cheese is quite salty, so I don't add any extra, but feel free to do so if you wish.