This recipe serves: 4

1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ lengths
about 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup diced onions
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the asparagus in a pot of well salted, boiling water until it is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Trasfer the asparagus to a bowl of ice water. When the asparagus is cool, drain and refrigerate. (This can be done ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 1 day.)

2. Heat the stock in a saucepan, season well with salt and pepper, and keep hot over low heat.

3. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a separate medium-sized pot. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until it turns translucent, about 5 minutes.

4. Turn the heat to high, add the shrimp and season with salt, pepper, garlic and lemon zest. Cook the shrimp until they are just opaque, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.

5. Add the rice to the onions in the pot, stir and turn the heat to low. Add about 1 cup of the hot stock to the rice mixture and stir slowly until the stock is absorbed. Continue to add the stock 1 cup at a time, stirring slowly, letting the rice absorb the stock before adding more.

6. The risotto is cooked when it is creamy on the outside and slightly firm (al dente) in the center, about 20 to 25 minutes in all. Stir in the shrimp, half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the risotto is too thick, add a little more stock until it becomes creamy.

7. Divide the risotto into serving dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and asparagus.

Serving Size: 1 bowl

Number of Servings: 4
Per Serving
Calories 308
Carbohydrate 38 g
Fat 7 g
Fiber 2 g
Protein 24 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Sodium 368 mg