Lemony Charred Pea & Asparagus Risotto

🥘 Ingredients

• arborio rice
  1 c
• asparagus
  8 oz
• black pepper
  ½ tsp
• butter
  2 tbsp
• cooking oil
  1 tbsp
• garlic
  2 cloves
• lemon
  1 unit
• olive oil
  2 tbsp
• parmesan cheese
  ½ cup
• parsley
  ½ cup
• peas
  1 c
• salt
  1 tsp
• scallions
  2 unit
• veggie stock concentrate
  1 unit

🍳 Cookware

• medium pot
• large pan
• small bowl
• baking sheet

1. 

   1

   Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. 

   2

   In a medium pot , combine 5 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
3. 

   3

   Wash and dry produce. Trim and thinly slice scallions , separating whites from greens. Peel and mince or grate garlic . Trim and discard woody bottom ends from asparagus ; cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Zest and quarter lemon . Finely chop parsley .

   scallions: 2 unit, garlic: 2 cloves, asparagus: 8 oz, lemon: 1 unit, parsley: ½ cup
4. 

   4

   Heat a drizzle of cooking oil in a large pan over high heat. Add peas and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly charred and tender ⏱️ 3 minutes . Remove from heat; transfer peas to a small bowl . Wipe out pan.

   cooking oil: 1 tbsp, peas: 1 c
5. 

   5

   Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium heat. Add scallion whites, garlic, and arborio rice . Cook, stirring, until scallion whites and garlic are fragrant and rice is translucent ⏱️ 1 minutes .

   olive oil: 2 tbsp, arborio rice: 1 c
6. 

   6

   Add 1 cup warm water and veggie stock concentrate ; stir until liquid has mostly absorbed. Repeat with remaining warm water—adding ½ cup at a time and stirring until liquid has absorbed—until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy ⏱️ 20 minutes . Depending on the size of your pan, you may need a little more or a little less liquid; try adding pinches of salt throughout the cooking process to make sure the risotto is well-seasoned at the end.

   veggie stock concentrate: 1 unit
7. 7

   Once risotto has cooked ⏱️ 10 minutes , toss asparagus on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt , and black pepper .

   salt: 1 tsp, black pepper: ½ tsp
8. 8

   Roast asparagus on top rack until tender and lightly browned ⏱️ 9 minutes .
9. 9

   Once risotto is al dente, reduce heat to low. Stir in half the peas, half the asparagus, half the lemon zest, juice from half the lemon, and ¼ cup plain water until combined.
10. 10

    Stir in half the scallion greens, half the parsley, half the parmesan cheese , and 2 TBSP butter until combined and butter is melted. Season generously with salt and pepper. The risotto should be a little loose and saucy right before serving; it will thicken as it cools, so add more water if necessary.

    parmesan cheese: ½ cup, butter: 2 tbsp
11. 11

    Divide risotto between bowls. Top with remaining peas, asparagus, lemon zest, scallion greens, parsley, and Parmesan. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.