This is one of my favorite recipes that I make. Not necessarily my favorite to make, but it’s my favorite to eat after I prepare it. For those of you that have made risotto before, you know that it is labor-intensive but the end result are something to feel proud about. I have made this recipe a bunch of times but never during the daylight to be able to get a good photo of it. My favorite main course to make with this particular risotto is Chicken Francese. I’ll give you my recipe in a future post.
Today I made the asparagus risotto for lunch for my boyfriend and me, which was the first time I have made it on it’s own. It was delicious as ever and even filling as the main entree. Risottos at restaurants can get really unhealthy with the abundance of creams and cheeses that are commonly in them. You don’t need all that to make a good risotto. This recipe is actually one of the healthiest recipes I have made of risotto and it tastes like it is loaded with cream and cheese. The lemon juice and zest add a great lemony flavor to the risotto, but is not overwhelming. 
- 1 pound asparagus
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. white wine
- zest from 1 lemon
- 4 cups of fat free chicken broth
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Start by rinsing the asparagus, breaking off the tough bottoms and cutting into ½ inch pieces. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water and keep on the side. Blanch asparagus pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes. Immediately drain asparagus and then submerge into ice water; set aside.
- In a Dutch oven or medium sized pot melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add onions to butter and cook until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add in rice and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in lemon juice and wine, stir until evaporated. In a separate pot, bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a simmer, keep on low heat.
- Add ½ cup of broth at a time and continuously stir until absorbed. Repeat, a half cup at a time stirring constantly, until there is no more broth remaining. This should take about 20 minutes for all the broth to be absorbed. The rice will be creamy yet slightly chewy. Mix in Parmesan cheese until combined. Then stir in asparagus and lemon zest, and then salt and pepper to taste .
Weight Watchers Points Plus- 5 PointsPlus per serving
Source- Adapted from Weight Watchers Online and Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book
