Shrimp and Roasted Asparagus Risotto

Making risotto used to kind of scare me. I thought it was something that was complicated and tricky to make……then I made it. I discovered that it’s actually very easy to make and not scary at all! The key to perfect risotto is to keep stirring. If you do that, you’ll have creamy, delicious risotto every time.

Once you learn the basics of risotto, you’ll find that it’s very adaptable. You really can add anything to it and it will be delicious. The key ingredients for risotto are arborio rice, onion, garlic, wine, stock and parmesan cheese. From there you can add whatever sounds good to you. I’ve also made Mushroom and Spinach Risotto as well as Roasted Squash Risotto, both of which are fabulous and just as easy as this Shrimp and Roasted Asparagus Risotto!

Shrimp and Roasted Asparagus Risotto

1 lb asparagus
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove woody stems from asparagus and cut into 1 inch pieces. Spread out on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour chicken stock into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium low heat (do not boil).

Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to pan and saute until shrimp is pink. Remove from pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic to the pan. Season with a little salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes until onion is translucent.

Add rice to pan and saute for 2 minutes.

Add wine and stir continuously. Cook until wine is almost completely absorbed.

Start adding chicken stock, 1 or 2 ladles at a time, stirring continuously, letting liquid almost completed absorb before adding more stock.

Once all of the stock has been incorporated, stir in thyme, parsley, asparagus, shrimp, parmesan and butter. Season with a little more salt and pepper if necessary.