Boil some water in your electric skillet by turning the dial to 400ºF and covering with the lid.
Cut the asparagus into 3 parts. Cook in the boiling water until tender, about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness). Drain and reserve.
1 bunch green asparagus
Heat the olive oil in the electric skillet at 300ºF. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup white or yellow onion
Turn the skillet up to 375ºF. Add the rice. Using a wooden spoon, mix it around with the oil and then let it sear for 1 minute.
1 cup Arborio rice
Stir in the wine and lemon juice, and cook until the alcohol evaporates, about 1 minute.
¼ cup white wine, 1 lemon
Add a few ladles of the warm broth. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Give it a mix.
4 cups vegetable broth
Lower temperature to 250ºF and cook for about 20 minutes in total - You will be adding more broth into the rice and mixing it in while it is cooking. Each time it looks like the liquid has been absorbed, you can add a ladle full (about ½ cup - You may not need all of the broth) and stir it in. Stir frequently so that the rice does not stick to the bottom. You will know it’s ready when the rice has a creamy and slightly firm but not crunchy texture.
Turn off the heat and stir in the reserved asparagus, butter and parmesan cheese until the butter is melted. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
Top with lemon zest. Serve immediately.
Notes
Do not rinse the rice ahead of time or you'll remove the starch--which gives the risotto its signature creaminess.
If you have any leftover risotto, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it. It can harden and when it is reheated, the texture of the rice will be grainy. Refrigeration is the best option and risotto lasts up to about 5 days, so that is plenty of time to eat it up.
To reheat the risotto, you can:
Boil ¼ cup broth for each cup of risotto.
Add the risotto to the broth, and stir it for a few minutes or until mixed in.
If it is still too thick, add a little more broth or water.