Lemony Spring-Vegetable Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. salt
• 5 1/2 cups Basic Vegetable stock or reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 leeks, cleaned & chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. finely chopped thyme, or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup thawed frozen baby peas
• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 6 Servings (1 1 /3 cups per serving)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and salt, and cook just until bright green, 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the asparagus in a colander under cold running water to stop cooking; set aside.
2. Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; reduce the heat and keep it at a simmer.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the leeks, garlic, and thyme until the leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it is absorbed, Add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed before adding more, until the rice is just tender but still slightly toothy. Add the asparagus, peas, lemon juice, and lemon zest with the last (1/2 cup) addition of stock. The cooking time from the first addition of stock should be about 22 minutes. Stir in the cheese and pepper; serve at once.

WW POINTS VALUE: 6 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. I think risotto is the ultimate Italian comfort food. It's creamy, flavorful, soothing and delicious. I've notice that the key ingredients to making a good risotto are Arborio rice, white wine, lemon juice, vegetables, garlic and Parmesan cheese. This risotto certain tastes like spring and it can also be enjoyed in the summer with summer vegetables as well. A well-made risotto is always creamy, mot mushy, so when you're cooking risotto, stir constantly. For a creamy and luscious texture, use Arborio rice or any other Italian medium-grain rice with a high starch content. Serve this as a main dish or as a side dish when you have company. They will love it.