Name: Risotto Primavera
Yield: Makes 4 Main-Course Servings
Ingredients: 6 mushrooms (white or wild, or a combination), cleaned (Mushroom Basics), halved, and thickly sliced; 3 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed; ½ cup frozen or shelled fresh peas; ¼ cup chopped fresh chives and/or fresh parsley; ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving; 2 cans (about 14 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth; 8 asparagus spears, bottoms trimmed, bottom halves peeled, and spears cut diagonally in 2-inch lengths (keep tender tips separate); 1 cup cold water, or more if needed; 1 carrot, trimmed, peeled, and sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick (optional); 1 onion, coarsely chopped; 1 cup Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano rice; Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation info

Makes
4
Main-Course Servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Get in There and Cook

By Richard Sax

Published 1997

About

This is a colorful risotto, brightly flecked with spring vegetables. The ingredient list makes this look complicated, but it’s actually a quick supper. I love to make it when I’m eating alone (I usually use only about ¾ cup rice and 2 cans of broth, leaving out the water. And there are still leftovers, which I either reheat for lunch the next day or make into pancakes—.)

I’ve given instructions for cooking asparagus right in the risotto, but anothe