1/2 pound asparagus
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 lightly packed cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Microwave the asparagus in a tightly covered microwave-safe bowl with 1 teaspoon water for 90 seconds and cut into 3/4-inch pieces, removing the woody bottoms; set aside.
Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over moderately low heat and cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add 3/4 cup of the hot broth, the salt and a few grinds of fresh pepper and simmer, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding hot broth, about 3/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the broth to be absorbed before adding more, until rice is almost tender and creamy-looking, about 18 minutes.
Add the spinach and peas and cook until the spinach is wilted. Add the asparagus and cook just until the vegetables are hot. Stir in the Parmesan and more broth if the risotto seems too thick. Serve in soup plates.
That 18 minutes of adding broth to the risotto little by little (which ends up being about a half hour every time I do it) seems like a long time, but it's important to let the broth absorb before you add the next ladle-full to avoid mushy risotto. A positive side of this is that you just opened up a bottle of white wine, so pour yourself a glass! For the vegetarians, I bet you could substitute vegetable broth without changing the taste much. The combination of vegetables she chooses go really well together and the quantity makes this recipe nice and healthy. Also, sauteed mushrooms or garlic might be additions worth playing around with, but I haven't tried either.
