Spring Risotto is everything you love about risotto: creamy, rich, and comforting. This version is made with a spring vegetable mix of asparagus, peas, zucchini, and yellow squash. It's hearty enough to stand alone as a meal, or pairs well with a protein main dish.
In a medium saucepan, add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Then, reduce heat and keep warm over low heat for the duration of the cooking process. You can't add cold liquid to make risotto.
Heat a large stock pan or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then, once it's warm add the onions with a generous pinch of salt and red pepper flakes, if using. Saute for a minute, then add the garlic, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the Arborio rice to the onion mixture, stirring to coat the rice completely. Cook it for approximately 1 minute until toasted and any additional oil is mostly absorbed.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, slowly pouring it in and stirring at the same time. Continue gently stirring and allow for the rice to absorb the wine.
Once the wine is absorbed, add about 1/2 cup of the warm broth (I use a measuring cup and simply dip it in, then pour it into the risotto pan). Stir the risotto consistently, until the broth is absorbed.
Continue the process of adding 1/2 cup broth, then stirring until it's completely absorbed until you've added approximately 4 cups of the broth (just do your best to keep track). At this point, add the vegetables to the broth to begin cooking.
Continue adding broth to the risotto in the same way (1/2 cup, stir until absorbed, etc.), but this time transfer a whole lot of the veggies over with you in the process. The vegetables will cook both in the broth and as the risotto finishes.
Begin testing the rice for doneness. If it is still crunchy, you will need more time. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, and stirring until it is all absorbed. I recommend taste testing after each addition at this point to really get a feel for where the rice is at. Once the risotto is creamy, the bite is firm but not crunchy (think al dente pasta), and the last addition of broth is absorbed, turn off the heat.
Add the butter and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine and allowing both to melt. Serve the risotto immediately with chopped parsley as desired and additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
When the recipe was updated in 4/2021, the butter was reduced from 1/2 cup (8T or 1 stick) to 6T and the parmesan from 1 1/2 cup to 1 cup. Feel free to use these amounts if you want it even more indulgently delicious!