Pea, Asparagus and Sundried Tomato Risotto

I had always thought risotto was tricky to make and probably a bit of a faff which while it tastes awesome probably wasnt worth the hassle. Then a few months ago, my brother presented me with a plate of utterly delicious homemade risotto and a bit of sibling rivalry spurred me on to create this dish, blending a classic risotto with some of my favourite flavours as well as my usual dairy-free twist. This makes 4 very generous portions though its far too easy to scoff.

Ingredients:
2 large onions
4 cloves garlic
1 bunch asparagus
1 small bag frozen peas
1.3l stock - I used vegan stock
2 tbsp butter - I used dairy free
1 jar sundried tomatoes
1 jar artichoke hearts
2tbsp oil from sundried tomatoes
350g risotto rice
100ml white wine
100g parmesan - I used a vegan alternative

Method:
Snap the woody ends off the asparagus and chop into bite sized pieces along with the sundried tomatoes and artichokes and place to one side. In a large pan heat the stock over a medium heat and leave simmering away. Finely dice the onions and garlic. Place a large, flat bottomed pan over a high heat and add half the butter and all of the oil. Melt together then saute the onions and garlic until translucent but not burnt.

Add the rice to the pan and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously before adding the white wine. Let the rice soak this up then carefully add a ladle of stock. Stir the rice continuously until the bottom of the pan can be seen clearly and then add another ladle full of stock. Repeat until most, if not all of the stock is used and the rice is tender.

While the stock is still simmering in a seperate pan, add the asparagus to gently cook, I pressed down with the back of the ladle each time I needed more stock while the asparagus was cooking. Just as the rice starts to soften, add in the frozen peas to cook through along with a ladle of stock.

Once the rice is cooked, add in the parmesan and butter and stir through to add creaminess. Stir in the asparagus, sundried tomatoes and artichokes and allow to warm through for a couple of minutes. I didn't need to season this but salt and pepper could easily be added to enhance the flavours if needs be.

Enjoy!

When you make this, please take a picture and tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife.