Broad bean risotto with asparagus pesto recipe
Classic Italian risotto has been given a summery spin with crunchy asparagus, broad beans and homemade ricotta cheese and basil pesto. The pesto melts into the cooked dish giving it a vibrant green finish and a wonderful, intense flavour.
See method- Serves 2
- 10 mins to prepare and 30 mins to cook
- 613 calories / serving
Ingredients
- 250g bunch asparagus, tips chopped, 100g stalks reserved
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 echalion shallot, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 150g risotto rice
- 125ml white wine
- 200g frozen broad beans, thawed and podded
For the pesto
- small handful fresh basil, leaves torn, plus extra to garnish
- ½ lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 tsp olive oil
- 50g ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp grated vegetarian hard cheese, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 2575kJ 613.0kcal
- Fat
- 23g
- Saturates
- 5g
- Salt
- 2.8g
- Sugars
- 6g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 76.8gProtein 22.0gFibre 7.3g
Method
- In a pan, bring 500ml of water to the boil. Cook the asparagus stalks for 4 mins, or until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon; roughly chop. Add the stock cube to the pan and stir to dissolve; simmer.
- Whizz all the pesto ingredients and the asparagus stalks in a food processor. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallot and cook for 5 mins. Add the garlic, cook for 30 secs, then stir in the rice. Pour in the wine and leave to bubble until absorbed.
- Add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring until almost absorbed before the next addition. When the rice is just cooked, stir in the asparagus tips, broad beans and pesto and cook for 3 mins, or until tender; season. Serve with the extra hard cheese and basil.
- See more Italian recipes
