Asparagus and speck risotto

The asparagus and speck risotto is the ideal dish to enjoy at family lunches or for tasty dinners with friends.

The asparagus and speck risotto is a delicacy worth trying because it combines the crunchiness of speck with the flavor of creamed asparagus. A first course that will surely find favor with many , especially those who love the flavor of contrasts. What about asparagus, the key element of this recipe? They are a typical spring delicacy, with a very strong flavor and unmistakable green colour, thanks to which they are able to give added value to every recipe . They have the particularity of being very versatile and therefore suitable for first courses as well as second courses. Let's see together what the ingredients are.

Preparing the recipe for risotto with asparagus and speck

1. The first step is to prepare the vegetable broth, heat it on the stove until it comes to the boil.
2. Clean the asparagus by removing the hardest part, split the tips lengthwise and cut the stem into rounds.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan and fry the finely chopped onion, then when it is wilted , add the rice and toast it.
4. After about 2 minutes of toasting, add the wine to the rice and let it evaporate over a high heat.
5. When the alcohol has evaporated, add the asparagus slices and continue cooking, adding a ladle of broth until cooked.
6. While the rice is cooking, cut the speck into strips and heat it in a pan with the oil until it is crunchy enough.
7. In another pan, however, heat the asparagus tips until they are sufficiently golden.
8. When the rice is cooked, mix it with butter and cheese, taking care to turn off the heat first, then mix, add the asparagus tips and the crispy speck and serve.

Delicious variations of risotto with asparagus and speck

Alternatively, for an even creamier risotto, we can advise you to boil the asparagus legs and, once soft, blend them, adding salt and pepper to obtain a cream. Use the cream to cook the risotto , then if it becomes too dry, add some hot vegetable broth. At the end of cooking, also add asparagus and speck sautéed in the pan and finish with creaming.

Among the quick and delicious recipes, this is undoubtedly a simple first course that includes several variations. The risotto with wild asparagus, speck and saffron is really simple to prepare , just replace the traditional ones with wild ones and add the saffron a few minutes before the end of cooking . As for the variant with Philadelphia, it can be inserted simply by substituting the spreadable cheese for the butter or cheese.