A bright spring risotto where a quarter of the peas get blitzed into a green puree and stirred in at the end, so the whole pan turns vivid.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
30 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£2.23
Difficulty
medium
Bring the stock to a simmer. Drop in 100g of the peas, cook for 2 minutes, then lift them out with a slotted spoon into a jug with the mint and a ladle of the hot stock. Blitz to a loose green puree and set aside.
Heat the oil and half the butter in a wide pan. Cook the shallots with the salt over a medium-low heat for 7 minutes until soft, then add the garlic for a minute.
Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes until the edges turn translucent. Pour in the wine and let it evaporate.
Start adding the hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring and waiting between additions. After 12 minutes, stir in the asparagus and the remaining peas.
Keep going for another 5-6 minutes until the rice is creamy but still has a little resistance and the asparagus is tender.
If the asparagus is very thick, give the stalks a 2 minute head start over the tips.
Take off the heat. Beat in the remaining butter, the green puree, the grated cheese and the lemon zest and juice. Season with black pepper.
Rest for 2 minutes with a lid on, then loosen with a splash of stock and serve straight away while the colour is at its best.