One-Pan Baked Creamy Lemon Asparagus Risotto Recipe (No Stirring) Italian Recipes Mediterranean Diet Recipes Grains Dinner Lunch Side Dishes Vegetarian Gluten-free

I love risotto, but I don’t love the wait and stirring while it cooks. Enter this wonderful and easy one-pan baked lemon and asparagus risotto recipe. The lemon adds a freshness that is a tasty addition to the fresh asparagus. This easy baked rice recipe assembles so fast; you just precook a few vegetables in the pan and then pop it into the oven to bake while you enjoy a beverage.

To make this oven-baked risotto recipe you will need fresh asparagus (read about the health benefits of asparagus), chicken broth, olive oil, onion, celery, salt, black pepper, Arborio rice, garlic, dry white wine, Parmesan cheese and a lemon for juicing and zesting.

Be sure to use Arborio rice, sometimes called risotto rice, for this gluten-free recipe. Arborio rice in a short-grain Italian rice named after Arborio in the Piedmont region of Italy. The round grains stay firmer and chewier when cooked compared to other varieties of rice.

This creamy (no cream!), lemony risotto can be served for lunch, as a vegetarian dinner or as a side dish with your favorite protein.

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Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 to 55 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• about 20 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 bunches)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• zest from 1/2 lemon, for garnish

Recipe Notes

• If you prefer not to use wine, just add an extra 1/2 cup of broth in place of the wine.
• To make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable broth.

• I had 1/2 of an onion, so I added a small shallot as well.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe large skillet on the stove on medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery and the salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until a bit soft.
2. Add the Arborio rice and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, wine, fresh lemon juice and stir.
4. Add in the asparagus and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Put the pan into a preheated 375-degree F oven.
5. Bake for 35 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
6. Serve topped with lemon zest and some more grated Parmesan and enjoy.

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