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This Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus & Basil is so packed with flavor and quick and easy to make. Done in under 40 minutes, it's the perfect decadent weekend dish.
Have you made risotto before? Maybe you tried my Creamy Truffled Mushroom Risotto? Or maybe you're still a bit intimidated by the process behind making a risotto? I know, it can seem daunting. I didn't even dare try my hands at it for a long time. But then I
How to Make a Perfect Risotto
In my book, there are three secrets to making your risotto stand out: using a good wine, cooking it slowly, and not cooking it to long.
Use a Good Wine for your Risotto
While you could use
With this Shrimp Risotto I love drinking a Sancerre - so therefore, I'd use a Sancerre in the dish as well. My sister thought I was mad when I did this and called it a waste of good wine, but to me, it's just making all the more of it. You can go a bit cheaper on the wine as well, of course, but the general rule is (not all that surprisingly...) - the tastier the wine the tastier the risotto.
Cook Your Risotto Slowly
The second important step to making a perfect risotto is to take your time. After frying your shallots, garlic and rice, and cooking off the wine, add the broth and lower the heat to medium-low - the heat should be just high enough for it to boil, but not much higher than that. And let it sit there, slowly cooking away.
Now a common misconception is that you should need to add the broth slowly and stir often. This is actually gonna hurt you more than help you. As long as your heat is low enough your risotto will do fine on its own, and when you're not constantly stirring it you run less risk of breaking the rice grains and ending up with mush.
Which brings us to the third point.
Don't Cook Your Risotto Too Long
Now, finally, and maybe most importantly - don't overcook your risotto. The trick here is that you have to take it off the heat before you think it's done.
So, after cooking it for about 14 minutes, start tasting the rice about once every minute. When it's finished it should still have a solid core, but not be too hard. There should just be a touch of texture left in the middle. If the rice is soft all the way through it will be overcooked.
This is somewhat scary - but just take the plunge and take it off the heat when you're not
More great risotto recipes
Love risotto? Then you need to check out these delicious recipes!
- Smoked Salmon Risotto with Asparagus & Lemon
- Salmon Risotto with Leeks & Lemon
- Mushroom Risotto with Truffle Oil
Did you love this recipe? Rate it 5 stars!
...and let me know what you loved about it in the comments.
Shrimp Risotto with Basil & Asparagus
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled, in one piece but slightly crushed
- 1.5 dl Avorio rice or other risotto rice
- 2 dl dry white wine
- 4 dl fish stock
- 1.5 dl shredded parmesan cheese
- 100 g large shrimp peeled and defrosted
- 5 asparagus cut in bite-size pieces
- 0.25 lemon juice of
- 1 dl chopped fresh basil leaves loosely packed
- salt & fresh ground black pepper according to taste
To serve
- parmesan cheese shredded
- 0.5 lemon cut in wedges
- fresh basil can be omitted
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. The pan should preferably be low and wide, but other pans work as well.
- Add in the shallots and garlic and fry until the shallots are softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the rice and fry until the butter has been absorbed by the rice, a few minutes.
- Make sure the heat is on high. Pour in the wine and cook until almost completely absorbed. Stir constantly.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, and remove the garlic cloves.
- Add in the fish stock and bring to a slow simmer. Adjust the heat to keep this slow simmer, and stir once. Then do not stir again until done.
- The risotto is finished when it’s cooked almost through - there should still be a solid core in the middle of the rice. When the risotto is finished, remove the pan from the heat and mix in parmesan, lemon juice and chopped basil. Then add in the shrimp and asparagus and mix well. Let sit for a few minutes to allow the shrimp and asparagus to heat up. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with fresh basil, extra parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and automatically calculated, and should only be viewed as an indication.
myra
This is freaking amazing.I decided to try this out. I've never made risotto before so I was kinda scared but it was so easy!! I added some soymilk into it after most of the stock was soaked up and ohhhh my god it's so amazing.
thanks for amazing recipee.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Myra! Happy you liked it!
jessica
amazing!!!
This is the first risotto I have ever made. It was do easy and we just loved it.
Emmeline Kemperyd
Thank you Jessica! Happy you liked it!
mayur modi
wowww! i love this recipe
Emmeline
Thank you for commenting! So happy you liked it!
mayur modi
Thanks for providing such a great information.
Becca Talbot
What a lovely treat for Valentine's Day dinner! And the recipe is so easy to follow - thanks for including the helpful pics! Will have to give this a try x
Emmeline
Thank you so much for your comment, Becca! Happy you enjoyed the pics!
Danielle
I have been looking for a good risotto dish to try! Perfect timing 🙂
Emmeline
Woho, perfect timing indeed! Try it and let me know what you think! 😀
Sincerely Miss J
This looks yummy and I love how your instructions are so easy to follow.Def. trying this as I love shrimp and basil.
Emmeline
Thank you so much!! Let me know what you think once you've tried it! 😀
Chelle Dizon
One of my favorite seafood is shrimp so this will be perfect for me. That Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus & Basil looks really tasty and flavorful!
Emmeline
Thank you Chelle! Same here! And this such a yummy use of them!
Preet
Wow, I have never tried to make this recipe looks really delicious and easy. I will try to make this for my kids, thanks for sharing!
Emmeline
Thank you for commenting Preet!
GiGi Eats
I definitely want to try something like this but with cauliflower!! YUM 🙂
Emmeline
Oh that's such a great idea!!
Sarah
This looks wonderful. I love shrimp.
Emmeline
Thank you, Sarah!
Lisa Rios
I LOVE risotto! Basil gives so many dishes a nice taste - especially fresh basil. I wonder if I could substitute shrimp with tofu?
Emmeline
Same here! Hm, maybe? Or just add more asparagus, or maybe some tomatoes? Oh now I want to make a vegetarian version haha!
Melissa M Sanchez
That Risotto looks amazing. So good. I have struggled making risotto in the past, but I want to give this one a try, I love shrimp!
Emmeline
Thank you Melissa! Give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you have any questions about making it I am here to answer!
Maartje van Sandwijk
We've had this bag of risotto rice in the kitchen for a few months and I've been dreading actually making something with it. This recipe sounds really great and not that hard to make...
Emmeline
Haha, I love it! That sounds like me before I made my first risotto. Try it, I believe in you!
Surekha Busa
Wow, that looks so delish, and yes i totally agree with you, a good wine gives a big role for the risotto to have it enhanced flavor.
Emmeline
Thank you Surekha! Yeah the wine is so important!
Nicole Anderson | Camping for Women
I just love how you really stepped through your key 3 tips for making a great risotto as many people do struggle with risotto generally (myself included). I am going to try this approach which I am confident will lead to a better result. Totally agree with your views on the choice of wine - it makes sense to me that better wine will produce a better taste. Also, love the look of this recipe and am looking forward to giving it a go for sure.
Emmeline
Thank you so much for commenting Nicole! I hope your risotto turns out delicious & let me know if you have any questions about making it and I will do my best to help 😅
Marta
The presented dish looks so delicious! Thank you for your tips 😀 Must try then once.
Emmeline
Thank you for commenting Marta! Hope it turns out great!
Amber Solis
This looks super yummy and easy. Im guessing it is more on the healthy side as well. Though my family isn't much for sea foods, I think it would be a great dish to make for my father who loves shrimp. Thanks for sharing.
Emmeline
Thank you Amber! Well there is a lot of cream and cheese in there, but definitely healthier than some versions. 😊
Emily Fata
Oh my gosh, this looks delicious! I'll try making a plat-based version myself this week!
Emmeline
Thank you Emily! Yes, do it! Are there good vegan subs for Parmesan cheese or what do you use?
GiGi Eats
Can we discuss how mouth-watering this looks. BUT SERIOUSLY. Yes please. And that photo of the sprinkling of the cheese, GIRL YOU got me drooling!
Emmeline
Oh thank you so much! Drooling readers is just what I’m going for!
Emmeline
Thank you so much!! Drooling readers is just what I’m going for 😉
Natalie L.
Bookmarking!!!! This looks sooooo yummu!!!
Emmeline
Thank you Natalie!!