Description
Instant Pot Asparagus Risotto. Creamy risotto is easy in a pressure cooker - no stirring needed!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, tips and stalks separated
- 1 medium shallot, minced (or a small minced onion)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups Italian medium grain rice (Vialone Nano is traditional, Carnaroli or Arborio are also good choices)
- 4 cups homemade vegetable broth (or store-bought low-sodium broth)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (1/2 teaspoon if using store-bought low-sodium broth)
- 4 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) grated pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the asparagus: Trim the tough end from the asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus tips from the bunch. Thin-slice the remaining asparagus stalks (I aim for ¼ inch slices, so they mix in with the grains of rice).
- Sauté the asparagus tips, shallots and asparagus slices, and rice: Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker pot over medium heat (sauté mode in an Instant Pot) until the oil is shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add the asparagus tips and sauté until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the asparagus tips with a slotted spoon and set aside for later, leaving as much of the oil behind as possible. Add the shallot and sliced asparagus stalks to the pot, and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the shallots soften and the asparagus turns bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it the rice turns translucent at the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Pressure Cook the risotto for 5 minutes with a Quick Pressure Release: Stir in the vegetable broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes for both electric pressure cookers and stovetop pressure cookers (Manual Mode or Pressure Cook for an Instant Pot). Quick release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the scalding hot steam.
- Stir in butter and steam the asparagus tips: Leave the pot in keep warm mode (or put a stovetop pressure cooker over low heat.) Stir the butter into the rice, then spread the asparagus tips out on top of the rice in a single layer. Cover the pot (but don’t lock the lid) and steam the asparagus tips until they are tender, about five minutes. Add the (optional) grated cheese, then stir the asparagus tips and cheese into the rice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian