The cold air is rolling in which makes it the perfect time to bring back all my favorite comforting and heartwarming recipes. This Asparagus Sun Dried Tomato Risotto recipe is sure to comfort and warm your belly. I love risotto not only for its creamy and luxurious taste but also for how versatile it can be. It’s easy to mix and match pairings to completely change the taste of your risotto. This is great for people like me who base dinner off whatever random ingredients I can combine from the fridge. Which is exactly how this recipe came about!
If you’ve read my free weekly meal plans you know I’m a crazy organizer who hates wasting food so I keep a list of all the food we have on hand. I had sundried tomatoes, asparagus and mushrooms I knew I had to use. I was thinking about some kind of veggie pizza but my heart, per usual, guided me towards cheesy creamy risotto. Then I scanned the meat list and was pumped I when I saw bacon on the freezer list. I knew I had the finishing salty touch for a perfect winter risotto.
This recipe may seem complicated but it’s a simple risotto you can make in under an hour. It requires very little stirring and it’s a great way to use up ingredients that may be going bad soon. This winter risotto is rich, velvety, and bursting with so many flavors. Each bite is a surprise. Will it be the bacon that hits first? Maybe the cheesy asparagus? YUM!
Want to make this as a side? That works great too. I’d recommend pairing it with roasted chicken, salmon or a grilled steak recipe. Any simple protein would pair deliciously. It’s really a perfect cozy and warming dinner or side. Definitely one that will impress over the holiday season!
Now let’s jump into how we make this bowl of happiness.
The process is simple, here are the steps…
Place a small pot of water over high heat, and add in a liberal amount of salt; bring it to the boil, then turn off the heat and add in the asparagus pieces, and blanch them for about 30-45 seconds; drain, then immediately run the asparagus pieces under ice-cold water, pat dry; set aside.
Place a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, and drizzle about 3-4 tablespoons of oil; once the oil is hot, add in the mushrooms, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them for a few minutes until they’re golden-brown; remove and set aside.
Into that same large pan, add in 2 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of oil; next, add in the leeks, plus a small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them for about 10 minutes, or until they’re caramelized and golden-brown.
Next, add in the garlic, and stir to combine; once the garlic becomes aromatic, add the arborio rice into the pan, and saute that with the leeks and garlic for about 1 minute, this will “toast” the rice a bit.
Add in the wine, and stir to combine; allow the wine to reduce down until it’s almost completely gone, and then add in a couple of ladles of the hot chicken stock, and stir; reduce your heat to medium-low.
Once the rice has absorbed most of the stock, add in another ladle or two and stir, and repeat the process, stirring the risotto frequently until it becomes tender and creamy, about 25-30 minutes (you will have used most or all of your stock by the end).
When the risotto is finished, turn off the heat; add in about ¾ cup of the grated asiago or parmesan cheese and the remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir that in to incorporate and melt. Add back in the asparagus, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped bacon, and fresh parsley and thyme, and fold those in.
Serve the risotto immediately while creamy and hot, and garnish with some of the remaining cheese. ENJOY!
If you make this Asparagus Sun Dried Tomato Risotto, be sure to leave a comment. I love hearing from you guys and do my best to respond to every comment. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through your recipe photos makes my day! Enjoy!
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Asparagus Sun Dried Tomato Rissoto
Ingredients
- 8-12 slender asparagus (trimmed off tough bottoms), sliced into ½” pieces
- Olive oil
- 4 ounces =mushrooms, sliced thinly, I like shiitake or baby bella
- Salt & Black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks (white parts only), halved and sliced, onions would work too
- 2 cloves garlic, finally chopped
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 6 cups hot chicken stock
- ¼ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
- 4 strips crispy-cooked bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teapsoon thyme leaves
- 1 cup grated asiago cheese or parmesan
Instructions
- Place a small pot of water over high heat, and add in a liberal amount of salt; bring it to the boil, then turn off the heat and add in the asparagus pieces, and blanch them for about 30-45 seconds; drain, then immediately run the asparagus pieces under ice-cold water, pat dry; set aside.
- Place a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, and drizzle about 3-4 tablespoons of oil; once the oil is hot, add in the mushrooms, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them for a few minutes until they’re golden-brown; remove and set aside.
- Into that same large pan, add in 2 tablespoons of the butter and 3 tablespoons of oil; next, add in the leeks, plus a small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute them for about 10 minutes, or until they’re caramelized and golden-brown.
- Next, add in the garlic, and stir to combine; once the garlic becomes aromatic, add the arborio rice into the pan, and saute that with the leeks and garlic for about 1 minute, this will “toast” the rice a bit.
- Add in the wine, and stir to combine; allow the wine to reduce down until it’s almost completely gone, and then add in a couple of ladles of the hot chicken stock, and stir; reduce your heat to medium-low.
- Once the rice has absorbed most of the stock, add in another ladle or two and stir, and repeat the process, stirring the risotto frequently until it becomes tender and creamy, about 25-30 minutes (you will have used most or all of your stock by the end).
- When the risotto is finished, turn off the heat; add in about ¾ cup of the grated asiago or parmesan cheese and the remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir that in to incorporate and melt. Add back in the asparagus, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped bacon, and fresh parsley and thyme, and fold those in.
- Serve the risotto immediately while creamy and hot, and garnish with some of the remaining cheese. ENJOY!
