Mushroom, Asparagus and Pea Risotto

Overly dramatic cautions along the lines of "don't stop stirring and never step away or it will burn and be ruined" made me dismiss risotto as something feasible to make well for a long time, but I recently decided to just give it a go. And, I'm happy to say I did because not only was the cooking process rather fun and not all that difficult (yes, stirring constantly is necessary), the end result was divine and totally worth the process. Risottos, for the most part, have the stigma of being so complex while delivering a mouth-watering final product - making it ultimately a great and impressive dish to create and serve. I looked at some recipes in a few cookbooks before deciding on one of Giada De Laurentiis' from her wonderful "Everyday Italian" to use as my base.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
8 oz white mushrooms, finely chopped
5 oz mini portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
.5 oz dried porcini mushrooms
5 3/4 c low-sodium chicken broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 c dry white wine
2/3 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 c frozen peas, thawed
10 asparagus stalks, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Pour the chicken broth into a sauce pan/pot, bring to a simmer and drop in the dried porcini mushrooms. Cover and leave on a low simmer for about 5 minutes; after, use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and place them in a separate dish to cool. Once cool enough to handle, dice the porcinis. Keep the broth warm on a very low heat, covered. In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions - cook until translucent and soft, about 10 min., stirring frequently. Add a pinch of salt (optional) and a few grinds of pepper. Then, add all of the mushrooms, the garlic and the asparagus. Cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice, combine the mixture thoroughly in the pot, and add the wine. Stir and cook until the wine is absorbed - about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot broth and simmer (med-low) for about 5 minutes, stirring often until the liquid is absorbed. Keep repeating this (adding a cup or so of broth after the previous is absorbed) every 5-8 minutes, stirring regularly, until all the broth has been used - about 25-30 min total. When the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed - the texture will be very creamy - mix in the peas, the Parmesan and a few more grinds of pepper. Serve immediately.

While yes, there is some butter and Parmesan in the mix, remember that both of these ingredients are spread out over the 4-6 servings you get from the recipe - and I couldn't believe just how creamy and rich-tasting (and in texture) the outcome was - just delicious and so flavorful. The broth being infused with mushrooms from simmering the porcinis in it initially really gives the dish an extra boost. I can't wait to cook this - and other variations on it/ a different kind of risotto - soon!