Spring Risotto (Instant Pot or Stove-Top)

Meet the most perfect spring dinner! With roasted asparagus, torn mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, a medley of herbs and a squeeze of lemon, this fresh-tasting spring risotto is a delicious way to enjoy the season's bright flavors. Every bite is ultra creamy and decadent, and I bet you'll be surprised how easy it is to prepare.

And for maximum convenience, I included Instant Pot directions as well as the traditional stove-top preparation. Both make an equally delicious spring risotto that everyone will adore.

Why You Need to Make This Recipe

With spring here, I bet you're ready to trade in those heavy winter meals for dishes that pop with citrus and plenty of fresh herbs. Fortunately for you, this spring risotto is it. Think spring in a bowl.

I especially love that you can make this risotto in your Instant Pot or on the stove-top. I'm all about options, and you definitely get that with this spring risotto.

If you've never made risotto in an Instant Pot, you will fall in love. Honestly, I was a little hesitant at first. What about all the stirring? How can it possibly be as good as stove-top risotto?

But then I saw Rick Bayless, who is an incredible chef, praise Instant Pot risotto. Seeing a respected chef go all in for Instant Pot risotto was enough for me to give it a try, and I'm so glad I did. We still get that creamy, tender bite but with a significantly reduced cooking time and less hands-on work, which makes this spring risotto perfect for entertaining.

And don't get me wrong. I still love the traditional stove-top method of cooking risotto and won't give it up entirely. If you have friends over who love to cook, it can be fun to make a big batch of risotto and take turns stirring for an interactive meal. But the Instant Pot is perfect when I want to quickly put this spring risotto on the table.

Ingredients

Please note that this spring risotto recipe specifically calls for arborio rice. If you've made risotto, you probably already know this, but if this is your first time, risotto calls for a specific type of recipe. You can't use, say, white rice or jasmine rice and expect to get that creamy sauce.

For the cheese, I like to use provolone with this recipe, but you can feel free to substitute another cheese if you'd like. Fontina, gruyere or white cheddar all make for delicious alternatives.

When picking a cooking white wine, make sure you get a dry variety. Pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc are my typical go-to cooking wines.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Instant Pot

Step 1: We begin by tossing our asparagus with a little olive oil and roasting in the oven (photo 1).

Step 2: While the asparagus roasts, we can start on the risotto. We turn on the Instant Pot to the Sauté function and add butter. Once the butter melts and the Instant Pot is hot, we add our prosciutto and cook until crisp (photos 2 and 3).

Step 3: With our prosciutto perfectly crisp, we set it aside and cook our leeks for a few minutes (photo 4). We now add a little fresh garlic (photo 5) and then dry arborio rice and allow it to toast for a few minutes (photo 6). After the rice is nice and fragrant, we pour in the wine (photo 7) and stir until it's mostly absorbed.

Step 4: Now we're ready to pour in our chicken stock, seal the Instant Pot and cook.

Step 5: Once the timer goes off, we use the quick-release valve, carefully remove the top and stir in our butter and provolone until they melt (photo 8) and then add fresh mint, basil and chives and fresh lemon juice (photo 9).

The mixture will initially look soupy, but stirring will fix that (photo 10). Now we top each bowl with the roasted asparagus, crispy prosciutto and torn mozzarella, and we're ready to eat the perfect spring meal.

Stove-Top

The process of making this spring risotto on the stove-top is the same until we add the chicken stock. At that point, we ladle in about a half a cup of chicken stock and keep stirring until it's nearly absorbed and repeat. We continue to do this until we go through about six to eight cups of chicken stock and the rice is tender.

Once our risotto finishes cooking, we stir in the butter, cheeses, lemon juice and herbs just like we did with the Instant Pot spring risotto, plate and enjoy.

Bonus: Make sure you also try my smoked salmon risotto! It's just as perfect for spring.

Recipe FAQs

Expert Tips

• Make sure you use warm chicken stock. If making in the Instant Pot, I just heat it in the microwave, but when I make it on the stove, I put it in another pot and keep it at a simmer.
• Asparagus doesn't take long to roast, so once it's done, I keep it warm in a 200-degree oven. The risotto requires a lot of attention, so I like to make sure this step is taken care of before we get too involved in the risotto.
• When preparing the leek, we want to make sure we wash it well to get off all the grime and then cut off the leafy portion and root end. From there, we simply slice off rings until we have a half a cup's worth.
• Altitude can affect the rice cooking time. Generally, Instant Pot risotto recipes call for six minutes while stove-top recipes call for 20-30 minutes of stirring time. Living in Denver, I usually cook my risotto in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes and on the stove-top for 30-40 minutes. The time listed is for sea level, but just know you might have to extend it if you're like me and live at a higher elevation.

Perfect Pairing

Asparagus can be tricky to pair with wine, but an unoaked chardonnay or citrus-forward, acidic sauvignon blanc work well with this spring risotto recipe. For beer options, consider pairing this risotto with a pilsner or Belgian witbier. Both styles will cut through the risotto's richness and cleanse the palate.

For a perfectly seasonal meal, I hope you give this spring risotto. With its creamy, decadent texture and fresh flavors, I bet you'll fall in love.

Cheers!

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📖 Recipe

Spring Risotto (Instant Pot or Stove-Top)

Meet the most perfect spring dinner! With roasted asparagus, torn mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, a medley of herbs and a squeeze of lemon, this fresh-tasting spring risotto is a delicious way to enjoy the season's bright flavors. Every bite is ultra creamy and decadent, and I bet you'll be surprised how easy it is to prepare.

5 from 52 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 530kcal

Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot or large saucepan
• ▢
  Roasting pan

Ingredients

• ▢ 6-8 cups chicken stock for stove-top or 4 cups for Instant Pot
• ▢ 4 ounces prosciutto chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 8 ounces asparagus bottoms trimmed
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 8 tablespoons butter divided
• ▢ ½ cup leeks sliced
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 2 cups arborio rice
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine
• ▢ 1 cup grated provolone
• ▢ 8 ounces fresh mozzarella torn
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
• ▢ Juice from one lemon

Instructions

For Stove-Top

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and bring chicken stock until barely simmering on stove.
• Toss asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Roast in oven until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Bring oven down to 200 degrees to keep the asparagus warm.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook prosciutto until crispy and fat renders. Remove and reserve on the side.
• Add leeks to the saucepan. Cook for about two to three minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add rice, frequently stirring for three minutes. Deglaze the pot with wine and stir until it nearly evaporates.
• Ladle one scoop of simmering chicken stock into risotto, about ½-1 cup. Stir often until the rice absorbs the chicken stock. Add another scoop and keep stirring often until absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is tender. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
• Turn off heat. Drop in remaining 6 tablespoons remaining butter and provolone. Stir to melt and then add the basil, mint, chives and lemon juice.
• Turn off heat and serve the risotto in bowls immediately. Top with roasted asparagus, torn mozzarella and crispy prosciutto. Enjoy!

For Instant Pot

• Heat oven to 400 degrees and warm chicken stock in the microwave or over the stove.
• Toss asparagus with olive oil and salt and pepper and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Roast in oven until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Bring oven down to 200 degrees to keep the asparagus warm.
• Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to Instant Pot. Once it melts and the Instant Pot is hot, cook prosciutto until crispy and fat renders, about three minutes or so. Remove and reserve on the side.
• Add leeks to the Instant Pot. Cook for about two to three minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add rice, frequently stirring for three minutes. Deglaze the pot with wine and stir until it nearly evaporates.
• Pour in warm chicken stock and set Instant Pot to Manual for six minutes. Use the quick-release valve when finished cooking. If you're at high altitude, you might need more time. Taste and if still hard, put the top back on and cook for two more minutes.
• Turn off Instant Pot. Add remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and provolone. Stir to melt and then add basil, mint, chives and lemon juice.
• Serve the risotto in bowls immediately and top with roasted asparagus, torn mozzarella and crispy prosciutto. Enjoy!

Notes

• Make sure you use warm chicken stock. If making in the Instant Pot, I like to heat it in the microwave, but when cooking on the stove, I put it in another pot and keep it at a simmer.
• Asparagus doesn't take long to roast, so once it's done, keep it warm in a 200-degree oven. 
• When preparing the leek, wash it well to remove grime and then cut off the leafy portion and root end. From there, we simply slice off rings until we have a half a cup's worth.
• Altitude can affect the rice cooking time. Generally, Instant Pot risotto recipes call for six minutes while stove-top recipes call for 20-30 minutes of stirring time. Living in Denver, I usually cook my risotto in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes and on the stove-top for 30-40 minutes. The time listed is for sea level, but just know you might have to extend it if you live at a higher elevation.
• Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 1.172mg | Sugar: 5g

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Recipe originally published in May 2018 and republished in April 2021.