Shrimp, Asiago & Asparagus Risotto with Fresh Dill

Rich and creamy risotto with tender shrimp and asparagus, the sharpness of Asiago cheese, and a bit of fresh dill and chives to add flavor.

Risotto is one of those gourmet meals that is really not difficult to make and it doesn’t take long either. You can have it on the table in 30 minutes or less. It takes some work stirring — not the kind of stirring where you have to stand at the stove and stir constantly. You can step away for brief moments, but you do want to do lots and lots of stirring. It’s the stirring that breaks up the starches in the rice and makes the risotto so incredibly wonderfully amazingly creamy.

I’ve read loads of recipes for risotto and they all call for Arborio rice. It’s a short grain rice that is supposed to be best for Risotto. I have had trouble finding Arborio and have made risotto with Basmati many times. Finally this week I found a small pack of Arborio and decided to try making risotto  “the right way”. My risotto did turn out marvelous, but I really think I prefer the taste and texture of Basmati to Arborio.

You can make this dish with either one, but if any of you do decide to try basmati, I would love to know what YOU think.

Shrimp, Asiago & Asparagus Risotto

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Ingredients

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• 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup rice (Arborio is the “right” kind for risotto, but I like Basmati better)
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
• 1 – 3 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped
• 2 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups of asparagus, cleaned & chopped
• 1 heaping cup of large shrimp, peeled & skinned
• About 1/2 cup of shredded Asiago cheese
• About 2 – 3 Tablespoons (total) fresh snipped dill & chives

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the rice. Stir and cook the dry rice in the butter until it’s light brown and smells heavenly toasty.
2. Add the wine and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until the liquid is cooked away. Add the garlic and 1/2 cup or so of the broth and again cook, stirring stirring stirring until the broth is cooked away. Repeat until the broth is gone (about 20 minutes or so). Taste the rice … is it tender yet? If not add a little more wine or water or broth and cook and stir a little longer.
3. Once the rice is about done, add the asparagus and shrimp and cook for about five minutes longer, stirring frequently, until the asparagus is crisp tender (but still green) and the shrimp is just cooked through. Stir in the cheese and herbs and serve.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Full Plate Thursday, Thursday’s Treasures, Mumsfilibaba Dill Party, Foodie Friends Friday, Swap n Share Sunday and Weekend Potluck.