Risotto Primavera

Pod the peas and broad beans, cut the asparagus into 1 inch/2½ centimetre pieces keeping the heads separate, top and tail the courgettes and cut lengthways into eight strips  Picture  , and peel and chop the onion.

Heat up the stock until simmering and then remove from the heat. Put the onion into a thick bottomed saucepan along with a couple of tablespoonfuls of olive oil and soften for five minutes or so. Take off the heat, and stir in the rice,

Add some stock to the rice mixture using a ladle or pouring from a jug until the mixture is just covered. Put over a low/medium heat and simmer. From now on the trick is to add the vegetables so they cook but are still al dente. The whole dish should take about 25 to 30 minutes.

After a few minutes add the asparagus pieces but not the heads to the mixture along with the peas topping up with stock if need be.

Normally I would cook the broad beans separately, peel them, and add them right at the end stirring them in very carefully. However these broadbeans were so young  Picture   I added them five minutes or so after the peas. Keep adding stock as required.

As soon as the rice is still almost done, add the asparagus heads and courgettes. Gently stir until they are softer but still firm - probably three minutes or so.

Grate and stir into the risotto a good couple of tablespoonfuls of grated parmesan. Stir in a few pinces of salt and then add further salt and parmesan to taste  Picture  .

Chop a little fresh parsley and sprinkle over the risotto along with a few flakes of parmesan, and enjoy  Zoom  !