Risotto w/ Scallops & Roasted Asparagus

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Many people are afraid of making risotto because they have heard it's a difficult, time-intensive dish to make. Hogwash, folks. I would call it a labor of love. You just need to stir, add stock, stir. You can chat with your guests while making it and even take turns stirring. Make it a communal event. It is not, I repeat not, difficult to make. It just takes some attention. Once you've made it a couple of times, it will become a dish you make time and time again because it's delicious, feeds several people and really is easy. Buono appetit!

Risotto w/ Scallops & Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

For the Rissotto:
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (most grocery stores carry this short-grain Italian rice)
8 - 10 cups chicken, vegetable or beef stock or broth (I used leftover Beef Stock I had in the freezer)
1 onion, diced
3 tablespoons Mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese, much richer and creamier though)
1/4 cup white wine or vermouth
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 lb. scallops (diver or bay scallops - if you can get your hands on some Nantucket bay scallops, they are THE best, small and sweet like candy)
Olive Oil (about 2 tablespoons)

For the Roasted Asparagus:
12 - 18 spears of asparagus (snap the ends off)
Olive oil - 1-2 tablespoons
Salt - about a teaspoon


How to:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

For the Risotto:
1. Coat bottom of frying pan or dutch oven with olive oil, warm at medium heat until oil is hot.
2. Sauté onions for 4 -5 minutes until translucent.
3. Add rice, coat with olive oil and onions.
4. Add white wine or vermouth, let cook for about a 1 minute.
5. Add a ladle or two full of stock/broth.
6. Stir until stock absorbs, add another ladle full, stir, repeat.
7. Continue this process of stirring and ladling stock until rice increases to about double its size (about 20 minutes).
8. Taste the rice. It should be al dente (not soft, with a little bite left in it).
9. Toss in the scallops. They will only take a couple of minutes to cook.
10. Take off the stove. Stir in the mascarpone cheese. Season the rissotto with salt and pepper to taste.
11. After you plate the risotto, top with 4-6 spears of asparagus and sprinkle the dish with parmesan cheese to taste.

For the Roasted Asparagus:
1. Snap off the ends of the aspragus to rid the spears of the tough part.
2. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet.
3. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the aspragus.
4. Coast the asparagus with the olive oil.
5. Salt the asparagus.
6. Roast for 20 minutes, turn after 10 minutes.