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Oven asparagus risotto is an easy and delicious springtime side dish. It’s a take on classic risotto with asparagus, onions, garlic, and parmesan cheese, but baked in the oven instead of stirring constantly on the stovetop. Such a game-changer!
Most of the credit for this recipe goes to my idol, Ina Garten. She has a recipe for ‘Easy Parmesan Risotto’ in her ‘Beginners’ cookbook. It truly is foolproof and amazing.
Over the years, I’ve made many variations of her wonderful recipe. This is one of my family’s favorites.
WHAT DO I NEED FOR THIS RECIPE?
- Butter
- Onion, garlic, asparagus
- Carnaroli or Arborio rice. I like using Carnaroli because it keeps its shape, doesn’t get mushy, and is very forgiving. If you can’t find Carnaroli, Arborio works wonderfully as well.
- Vegetable or chicken stock
- Parmesan cheese
- Dry white wine
- Kosher salt and black pepper
HOW DO I MAKE OVEN ASPARAGUS RISOTTO?
Don’t let risotto intimidate you. This recipe is incredibly easy and almost foolproof!
First, you’ll saute the onion and garlic in a Dutch oven.
Then add the rice, stock, and some of the wine and slide it into the oven to bake.
While that bakes, you’re going to blanch the asparagus.
When the liquid is absorbed into the rice, you’ll stir in the remaining wine, butter, cheese, and asparagus.
Not too intimidating now, is it?
Looking for more easy side dish recipes?
PrintOVEN ASPARAGUS RISOTTO
Forget your fear of making risotto. Let your oven do the hard work and enjoy a creamy, cheesy risotto full of asparagus. It’s a perfect spring side dish.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
5 tablespoons salted butter, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 ½ cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
4 ½ cups warm vegetable or chicken stock, divided
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay), divided
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add the onions and garlic. Stir and cook until the onions are translucent – about 6 minutes.
Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the butter.
Pour in 3 ½ cups of vegetable or chicken stock and ½ cup of wine. Stir well.
Cover the pot and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil. Add salt so that it tastes like the sea.
Toss in the asparagus pieces and blanch for a minute or two, or until the vegetable turns bright green and is tender. Drain well and set aside. Pick out 4 or 5 asparagus tips to use as a garnish.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven. At this point, most of the liquid in the pot should have been absorbed into the rice and the rice is al dente.
Pour in the remaining 1 cup of stock and ½ cup of wine, the parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons of butter, salt, and pepper.
Stir vigorously for 4 – 5 minutes or until the rice is thick and creamy and the butter is well incorporated.
Add the asparagus pieces and stir until the vegetable is warm – another minute or two.
Spoon the hot risotto into a serving bowl and top with the reserved asparagus tips.
Serve hot.