Asparagus and pecorino romano risotto

🍚 Never rinse your arborio rice

It’s the number one reflex to unlearn. With regular white rice, you rinse to remove surface starch and keep it from sticking. With risotto, it’s exactly the opposite: that starch is what creates the creamy texture, slowly releasing into the broth as you stir. Rinsing your arborio means pouring the creaminess down the drain before you’ve even started. Arborio or carnaroli, both work. But never rinsed.

🥄 No, you don’t need to stir non-stop

The myth of the arm that never stops turning for twenty-five straight minutes can be put to rest. The Michelin Guide itself confirms it: constant stirring is not necessary. What matters is stirring regularly and gently, so the rice rubs and releases its starch without breaking apart. You have plenty of time to pour yourself a glass of white wine between ladles.

🍶 Your broth must stay hot the whole time

If you pour cold or lukewarm broth onto your rice, you drop the temperature of the pot all at once and the cooking stops dead. The rice then cooks unevenly. Some grains mushy, others raw in the center. Keep your broth pot at a gentle simmer right next to you, from start to finish. That’s the difference between a restaurant risotto and one that falls flat.

🧀 The mantecatura is what makes a risotto creamy without a drop of cream

Italians have a word for the finishing step of a risotto: the mantecatura. It means pulling the pot off the heat, letting everything settle for a second, then vigorously incorporating cold butter and grated cheese. The contrast between the scorching rice and the cold fat creates an emulsion between the released starch, the remaining liquid, and the butter. That, and nothing else, is what gives that silky, glossy texture. A real risotto never contains cream. It simply doesn’t need it.

💧 Save one cup of broth for the very end

It’s my signature move and I do it in every single risotto I make. The rice keeps absorbing liquid even after the pot is off the heat, so by the time you bring your bowls to the table, your risotto has already thickened. By adding one last ladle of hot broth just before serving, after the cheese, you compensate exactly for what the rice is going to drink. The result should flow slightly when you tilt the bowl. Never sit in a clump.

🧀 Buy your pecorino as a block and grate it yourself

Pre-packaged grated cheese, never. It’s coated with anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly, and that ruins your mantecatura. Buy a piece of pecorino romano and grate it fresh with a fine grater. Same goes for parmesan. One more thing to keep in mind: pecorino is much saltier than parmesan, so taste before seasoning at the end. You’ll be surprised.

🥦 Sautéed, never blanched

A lot of recipes have you blanch your asparagus in boiling water. I sauté mine in butter in a separate pan, stalks and tips together, for 3 to 4 minutes. The flavor is noticeably more pronounced, you get a little nutty note that’s impossible to achieve in water, and you have one less pot to wash. The tips get set aside for garnish; they make the whole dish look the part.

❄️ Yes, it freezes, and the kids love it

Let’s be honest: defrosted risotto is not something you’re serving your guests. But you’re not throwing it out either. I freeze leftovers in portions and reheat them very gently with a splash of broth to bring the rice back to life. It’s a bit softer, a little more mushy, but my kids are always happy when I pull risotto out of the freezer. Zero waste.

✅ What to serve with my asparagus and pecorino romano risotto?

Since it’s completely vegetarian, it holds its own as a full main course, especially alongside a Classic Caesar salad to add crunch and acidity. When I’m entertaining, I serve it as a side to a saucy meat dish, like my Slow cooked beef cheeks with port, or next to my Beef sirloin with homemade Montreal steak spices for a plate that really looks the part. And there’s always my Cheesy garlic bread on the table for those who want to mop up every last bit from their bowl.