Recipe
Green Sauce
400 g asparagus
100 g fresh spinach
Generous splash of olive oil
A handful of fresh basil
A few sprigs of dill
Zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
75 g Pecorino Romano cheese
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Risotto
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
300–350 g risotto rice
About 100 ml white wine
7.5 dl hot vegetable broth
A handful of grated Parmesan cheese
300 g asparagus (whole or halved), for frying
For finishing:
Lemon zest
Fresh basil
Olive oil
To make the green sauce, boil the chopped asparagus and spinach in salted water for about 7 minutes until tender but still bright green. Transfer the vegetables directly to an ice bath and let them cool. Drain and place in a blender or food processor. Add the olive oil, basil, dill, lemon zest and juice, Pecorino, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.
For the risotto, heat a 24 cm frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the rice and cook for a moment. Pour in the white wine and let it almost evaporate completely. Add the vegetable broth one ladle at a time, stirring occasionally. Let the liquid absorb before adding the next ladle. Continue until the rice is almost done but still has a slight bite (about 18-25 minutes).
Once the risotto is nearly ready, add the green sauce and stir thoroughly. Let it warm for a few minutes. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and check the taste—if necessary, add more salt, pepper, or lemon zest.
Finally, quickly sauté the remaining asparagus in olive oil until they get some color but stay firm (about 5 minutes).
Serve the risotto with the sautéed asparagus. Finish the dish with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, grated Parmesan, and lemon zest.
