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Minty Pea and Asparagus Risotto with Champagne and Mascarpone

This late summer risotto is fresh, creamy, bright and simple to make! This fun variation on a classic risotto uses green veggies and bubbly wine to keep it bright and interesting. And shouldn’t we be cooking with champagne more often? (Yes, because then you have no choice but to drink the rest with a cooking buddy!) I love using mascarpone cheese in this risotto, too. Talk about creamy! This dish pairs great with steak or lamb, making it the perfect side dish for an elevated meal, but it also stands on its own as a vegetarian meal for the whole family. You can use dry white wine as well, but let’s face it, that’s less fun. Enjoy, and cheers!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Level: Medium

Ingredients - serves 6-8

  • 2 cups Arborio rice

  • 1 small red onion or shallot, diced small

  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil

  • 1 bunch of asparagus

  • 1/2 cup peas (defrosted if frozen)

  • 2 tbsp. chopped mint

  • 1 cup dry champagne or other sparkling wine

  • 8 cups chicken or veggie stock

  • 8oz mascarpone cheese

  • 2 tbsp. butter

  • Salt and pepper

 

  1. Tear off the fibrous ends of the asparagus. Cut the the stalks into thirds and boil them for 3 minutes before draining and setting aside to add in later. The peas and chopped mint can be added to the asparagus, as they’ll all be added at the same time.

  2. Bring a pot of the stock to a simmer.

  3. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the minced garlic and diced onion or shallot. Sauté until soft. Once soft, add the arborio rice and sauté until it’s lightly browning.

  4. Add the champagne to the skillet and stir RIGHT AWAY. Keep stirring until all of it has soaked into the rice.

  5. Once the champagne has soaked in, you’ll begin the stock additions. Add the stock from the simmering pot to the skillet with the rice one-ish cup at a time. Stir constantly (taking break is ok, for 30 seconds to the occasional minute, but do NOT walk away for long!). Once all the liquid is soaked into, you know it’s time to add the next cup of stock. Keep repeating this until all of the stock is used OR the rice is done (taste test for this!). Note: the stock being warm in a pot helps the rice cook consistently!

  6. Once all the stock has been added or rice is cooked, add the butter, mascarpone, cooked asparagus, peas, chopped mint, and some salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve right away!

    Plating: Top with additional fresh mint and/or a little bit of parmesan cheese.