Asparagus Risotto

Think Italian food, think pasta. Right? Well, being a rice lover, I LOVE risotto, rich, creamy and cheesy! Combine it with one of my favorite veggies, asparagus and I'm in heaven. OK, yes, it's labor intensive. You must stand, stir and slowly add stock, but it is soooo worth it. Last night Puppy Daddy chose Grilled Chicken Involtini with Basil and Prosciutto for our main dish. Asparagus risotto was the perfect accompaniment. 





There are several keys to great risotto. The first is using the right rice. Aborio is an Italian short grain rice that is very starchy, which is the key to creaminess. The next key is having plenty of warm broth or stock on hand. Finally, you need to stand close by to stir every few minutes and add broth or stock as the rice absorbs it.

You can flavor the risotto with a variety of vegetables. Lots of folks love mushroom risotto. My favorite is asparagus, one of my very favorite veggies. I use chicken stock (you could also use broth for a bit lighter flavor). I add the asparagus with the last bit of stock so that it stays nice and crispy. Finally, add your Parmesan cheese, some butter and the secret ingredient that I learned from my Italian friend Franca, a bit of cream! I'm not kidding, this is seriously delish and well worth the time!!!!

Ingredients
2 TB butter, divided
2 shallots
1 cup Aborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 - 2 TB heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan or heat in the microwave.

Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of hot stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes. With the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus. Turn off the heat.

* The amount of stock is approximate. You may need a little more or a little less.

Creamy White Chicken, Artichoke and Asparagus Lasagna

I found this recipe from Kraft on Pinterest. I made it last night for dinner adding asparagus to the original recipe. Puppy Daddy and Sister Ruth agreed that it is absolutely delicious! Yes, it is as creamy and cheesy as it looks!













Ingredients
2 cups boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1 1/2 asparagus, cut in two inch slices and cooked for 2 minutes in the microwave on high

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) package KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a Touch of PHILADELPHIA, divided
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup basil, chopped
12 lasagna noodles, cooked or 12 no cook lasagna noodles

 

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine chicken, artichokes, asparagus, tomatoes, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Beat cream cheese, milk, and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 tablespoons basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture.

 

4. Bake 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Penne and Asparagus with Tomato Cream Sauce

The Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Petersburg has recently become a favorite outing for Puppy Daddy and me. I can't believe it has been in existence for ten years and we have just now discovered it. The market has several fresh produce stands, baked goods, gourmet foods, arts, crafts and prepared foods. We love buying our fresh produce for the week and fresh bread. This week we bought Tomato-Basil Penne from Pappardelle's. They make over 100 flavors of dried pasta and fresh-frozen ravioli, sauces and pestos, each handcrafted in small batches using every facet of traditional Italian pasta making techniques. It is sold only in a few gourmet shops and farmers markets across the country. We bought the very last of the Tomato-Basil Penne on Saturday. The poor customer right after us had to make an alternate choice. This recipe uses the pasta and fresh asparagus from the market. I served this pasta with delicious rosemary rolls, also from the market. If you haven't been, I encourage you to check it out soon!

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
4 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup milk
4 TB prepared marinara sauce
1/2 lb asparagus, sliced into 2 inch pieces
1 lb penne pasta
salt

Directions
Fill a large pot with water add a generous amount of salt and bring to a boil. When water is boiling add pasta and cook according to directions on the package.Add asparagus to the pot for the last 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile make the sauce. In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. When melted add cream cheese. Stir until melted. Add milk and marinara sauce. Continue to stir until sauce is melted. Drain pasta and asparagus, and add to tomato cream sauce. Stir to coat pasta.