Spring Asparagus & Pea Risotto with Freshly Ground Black Pepper

This wholesome, warming recipe by Once Upon a Chef is deliciously thick and creamy – perfect for a light midday energy boost, or a big, cozy dinner. That chicken stock will run through the whole dish and coat everything in salted, savoury goodness. Top off with a dusting of parmigiano-reggiano and a twist of black pepper for a match made in heaven.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to making your own broth, you can always use standard stock cubes, or try your hand at this chicken stock recipe by Simply Recipes. Learning to make your own stock is so rewarding because it turns what once was kitchen scraps into a key ingredient for future meal. You could also make a simple switch to vegetable broth to turn this into an excellent veggie dish, too.

Thanks to that lovely Arborio Rice, this dish becomes irresistibly creamy, as every good risotto should be – that’s why it’s such a key ingredient! But did you know there are other kinds of rice that are great for risottos? If you’re having trouble finding Arborio, rice like Carnaroli and Vialone Nano are fantastic substitutes.

A little tip before you start – make sure to line the Asparagus up and cut the tough ends off with a knife. Snapping the ends can waste perfectly good greens! Speaking of wasting greens, if this recipe caught your eye because you have frozen peas to use up, why not have a look at these recipes that all start off with an excess of peas?

Either way, you must be hungry by now. Let’s crack on to that recipe below!