Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Olive Garden’s Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

prep: hr(s) 30 min(s)
cook: hr(s) 30 min(s)

Ingredients
8 cup(s) chicken broth
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cup(s) Carnaroli or Arborio rice
1/2 cup(s) dry white wine
1/2 lb(s) fresh asparagus spears, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
18 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup(s) butter
1 1/2 cup(s) Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup(s) chopped tomatoes
Fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup(s) Onions (yellow)

Procedures
In a large pot or saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and leave on low heat until needed.

In a separate, large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for approximately three minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the rice, stir to coat thoroughly and cook for one minute. Next, add the white wine and stir until completely absorbed.

Slowly add ½ cup of broth to the risotto and stir until completely absorbed. Repeat this step until 4 cups of broth have been added.

Continue to stir the risotto frequently to avoid sticking.

While the risotto is cooking, add the asparagus and shrimp to the remaining broth and cook for approximately two minutes or until the shrimp are pink in color.

When finished, remove the asparagus and shrimp from the broth and add them to the pot with risotto.

Continue to add ½ cup of broth at a time until desired creaminess is reached.

Once the broth is absorbed, add butter, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and parsley to complete.