Spring Risotto

History & Background

A 20th-century risotto from the great Lombard-Venetian tradition, designed to showcase the first vegetables of spring — when markets fill with colour after winter.

Ingredients for 4

• 320g Carnaroli rice
• 100g asparagus
• 100g fresh shelled peas
• 100g baby zucchini
• 100g fresh shelled fava beans
• 1 spring onion
• ½ glass white wine
• 1L vegetable broth
• 60g cold butter
• 60g Parmigiano
• Mint and basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Method

1. Blanch the vegetables separately in salted water: 2 min for asparagus tips, 3 for peas and fava beans, 1 for zucchini. Cool in ice water.
2. Sweat the chopped spring onion with oil.
3. Toast the rice and deglaze with wine.
4. Add hot broth, stirring calmly.
5. Halfway through, fold in the chopped asparagus stems.
6. 4 minutes from the end, add peas, fava beans and zucchini.
7. Manteca off the heat with cold butter, Parmigiano and the asparagus tips.
8. Garnish with hand-torn mint and basil.

Wine pairing

Lugana or Soave: fresh whites that don't cover the vegetable sweetness.

Common mistakes

• Cooking all the vegetables together: each has its own timing.
• Not cooling in ice: they keep cooking and lose colour.
• Overdoing the Parmigiano: covers the freshness.