Recipe - Risotto With Asparagus And Fennel (Vegetarian)

One half pound Asparagus, rough ends
removed
2 md Bulbs fennel, with stalks
trimmed, and set aside
4 tablespoon Olive oil
1 md Spanish onion, in 1/8" dice
1 One half cup Rice, Vialone Nano or
Arborio
4 tablespoon Butter
Three fourths cup ParmigianoReggiano, grated
1 bn Italian parsley, finely
chopped

Measure 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add asparagus stalks and 2
tablespoons salt. Set up ice bath next to the pot. Blanch asparagus for 1
minute, place in an ice bath and keep the asparagus cooking water until
later. In the meantime, chop fennel into 1/2inch batons and place in a 12
to 14inch fry pan with 3inch sides. Place over medium heat with olive oil
and onion. Cook over medium heat until softened but not browned. Add rice
and, stirring constantly, cook until rice turns opaque, about 2 minutes.
Add asparagus cooking water until it covers the rice. Turn the heat up to
high, stirring constantly, and cook the rice until the liquid level goes
below the level of the rice. Continue adding the warm asparagus cooking
liquid, 1 ladle at a time, to maintain the liquid level above the rice for
15 minutes. Drain asparagus and chop into 1inch pieces. Add asparagus to
rice and cook until rice is soft but still al dente. Remove from heat, add
butter, Parmigiano and parsley and stir through. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe by: Molto Mario MB1D12 Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #603 by Sue
suechef@sover.net on May 09, 1997