Asparagus & Lemon Risotto

I decided to try this Martha Stewart recipe after seeing it in a recent issue of the magazine.  It looked healthy and chock full of veggies - and it was!  Even Corey liked this recipe, and I was dubious that he would like it given the lack of meat and the abundance of vegetables. 

The trick to risotto is that it is not hard, it is just time-consuming.  LOTS of time spent stirring the arborio rice and the broth.  But if you have the time, risotto really is an easy dinner.  I've got another, more plain recipe for risotto that I posted here.

ASPARAGUS & LEMON RISOTTO

Recipe Notes

The original Martha Stewart version of this recipe called for 6 c. vegetable broth, or about 3 cans.  I gave up after 4 c. (two cans) and the risotto turned out great.  I also eliminated the olive oil from the recipe to reduce the fat and calorie content, and it still tasted really good.

I ran this through the Points tracker on Weight Watchers, and it came back as an 11 Point entree.  However, that is based on a huge portion, because the recipe serves 4.  If you make this a recipe that serves 6 (which was a more manageable portion for me), then the Points value is only 7.

Ingredients

• 6 c. vegetable stock (3 cans)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 c. Arborio rice
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-in. lengths
• 1 c. thawed frozen peas
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan, plus more for serving
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.  Coat a saucepan with cooking spray.  Saute onion, stirring frequently, until soft (6-7 minutes).

2.  Add rice and cook, stirring until edges are translucent. 

3.  Add wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated.

4.  Add vegetable stock, 1/2 c. at a time, stirring until almost absorbed.  Continue adding 1/2 c. stock in this manner until liquid is creamy and rice is al dente.  I only added 4 c. of the stock.

5.  Add asparagus with the last addition on stock, followed by the thawed frozen peas one minute before risotto is done.

6.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

7.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with additional cheese and/or lemon zest and serve immediately.