The shrimp and asparagus risotto is an alternative to classic seasonal recipes like zucchini and shrimp risotto or spring risotto. It’s a white risotto, flavored with asparagus and completed with delicious shrimp to finish the recipe.
If you like asparagus, don’t forget to read the recipe
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
- Energy 435.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 74.87 (g) of which sugars 1.33 (g)
- Proteins 27.80 (g)
- Fat 1.22 (g) of which saturated 0.30 (g)of which unsaturated 0.62 (g)
- Fibers 2.35 (g)
- Sodium 466.39 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for 2 servings
- 1 cup Carnaroli rice
- 5.3 oz shrimp
- 4 asparagus
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Vegetable Peeler
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Spoon
Procedure
The secret to a good risotto is the broth; I recommend making the broth at home and adding the tough asparagus stalks to infuse their flavor into the rice during cooking.
For a more intense shrimp flavor, you can make a shrimp bisque to use instead of broth.
To properly clean the shrimp, remove the head, shell, and black vein following the instructions found here.
Remove the outer part of the asparagus with a vegetable peeler; this part is too fibrous and should be removed before cooking. Slice the asparagus into rounds and set the tips aside.
Sauté the shrimp and asparagus in a pan with a drizzle of oil; it doesn’t take long, just a minute on each side. When cooked, just flip them over.
Once cooked, remove them from the pan, cut the shrimp into rounds similar to the asparagus, and set aside.
Let’s focus on toasting the rice to allow it to absorb flavors better while staying crunchy. Put the rice in a pan over high heat and toast it, taking care to sauté the rice frequently, so it heats evenly and doesn’t burn.
Toasting is complete when you feel the heat rising to your hand when you place it a few inches above the cooking rice.
Deglaze the risotto with white wine, adding it gradually so that it evaporates with the heat, leaving only the flavor.
Too much white wine will make the risotto acidic, too little won’t add flavor; use your nose to determine if you’ve reached the right level.
Once the white wine has evaporated, deglaze the risotto with broth (or bisque), which should be added one ladle at a time on top of the rice and only added once the previous ladle is fully absorbed.
Repeat the process until the risotto is fully cooked (about 12-15 minutes); five minutes before the end of cooking, add the shrimp and asparagus.
Let it rest for a couple of minutes off the heat and gently stir until the risotto is ready. You can make the risotto creamier with a pat of butter.
Your shrimp and asparagus risotto is ready!
Plating suggestions:
For an elegant presentation, you can finish the dish with thinly sliced asparagus strips using a vegetable peeler and shrimp pieces to garnish the plate.
Wine pairing with shrimp and asparagus risotto:
This recipe pairs well with a flavorful white wine that can enhance the seafood notes. For example, you can serve this recipe with a Vermentino di Gallura.
