Categories: Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces slender asparagus (trimmed of tough bottoms), sliced on the bias into 1/2” pieces
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
- 2 leeks (white parts only), halved and sliced thinly into semi-circles
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 3/4 cup white wine
- 6 cups hot chicken stock
- 1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (preferably not packed in oil, or then patted dry)
- 4 strips crispy-cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teapsoon thyme leaves
- 1 1/4 cup grated asiago cheese, divided use
Directions
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-Place a small pot of water over high heat, and add in a liberal amount of salt; bring it to the boil, then turn off the heat and add in the asparagus pieces, and blanch them for about 30-45 seconds; drain, then immediately run the asparagus pieces under ice-cold water, or plunge them into an ice-water bath, and then pat dry; set aside.
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In a large pan, add in 2 tablespoons of the butter, plus about 3-4 tablespoons of the oil; next, add in the leeks, plus a small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them for about 10 minutes, or until they’re caramelized and golden-brown.
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-Next, add in the garlic, and stir to combine; once the garlic becomes aromatic, add the arborio rice into the pan, and saute that with the leeks and garlic for about 1 minute, in order to “toast” the rice a bit.
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-Next, add in the wine, and stir to combine; allow the wine to reduce down until it’s almost completely gone, and then add in a couple of ladles of the hot chicken stock, and stir; reduce your heat to medium-low.
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-Once the rice has absorbed most of the stock, add in another ladle or two and stir, and repeat the process, stirring the risotto frequently until it becomes tender and creamy, about 24-28 minutes (you will have used most or all of your stock by the end).
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-Once the risotto is finished, turn off the heat; add in about ¾ cup of the grated asiago cheese and the remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir that in to incorporate and melt; next, add in the asparagus, the sun-dried tomatoes, the chopped bacon, and the parsley and thyme, and fold those in.
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-Serve the risotto immediately while creamy and hot, and garnish with some of the remaining grated asiago cheese, if desired.