Serves 2-3

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 25 min

1.5 vegetable or chicken

stock cubes

250g asparagus tips

1 shallot

50g butter

50g pea shoots

200g Arborio rice (I used

Riso Gallo)

Half a glass white wine

About 20 small mint leaves

Freshly grated Parmesan

to serve

Boil the kettle and measure 750ml water into a pan. Dissolve the stock cubes in the water. Slice the asparagus in half through the tips. Bring the stock to a rolling boil and cook the asparagus for 2 minutes. Lift out to drain. Leave the stock on a very low heat. Peel and finely chop the shallot. Melt 25g butter in a sauté or wide-based pan and gently soften the shallots, allowing about 10 minutes. Stir the pea shoots into the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the rice.

Cook for a couple more minutes and add the wine, letting it bubble away into the rice. Add half the stock. Establish a steady simmer, stirring once or twice, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the rice is beginning to swell and turn creamy. Stir the remaining stock into the risotto and continue as before, for 8 minutes or so, until the rice has absorbed almost all the liquid, is tender but with a bite in the centre. Stir in the remaining butter to slacken further, then the mint and asparagus tips. Cover and leave for 5 minutes before serving with plenty of Parmesan.

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