Instant Pot Fennel and Asparagus Risotto
Try this Instant Pot Fennel and Asparagus Risotto recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Instant Pot Fennel and Asparagus Risotto recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 medium brown onion finely diced
- 1/2 medium fennel diced
- 1/2 bunch of asparagus diced
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 2 cups arborio risotto rice
- 2 cups vegetable stock (1 cube + 2 cups water)
- 2 cups chicken stock (1 cube + 2 cups water)
- 25 g / 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 fennel, sliced
- 1/2 asparagus, cut into smaller pieces (see picture)
- Carbohydrate 3.58476375043102 g
- Cholesterol 5.50000000700806 mg
- Fat 4.34953250336392 g
- Fiber 0.573812516324222 g
- Protein 2.74462375306574 g
- Saturated Fat 1.44279250152769 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (54g)
- Sodium 97.0673751219938 mg
- Sugar 3.0109512341068 g
- Trans Fat 0.187533750169637 g
- Calories 66 calories
Step-by-step
- Press the Sauté key on the Instant Pot (it should say Normal, 30 mins). Add the onions and olive oil and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring a few times.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegetables. Dice half of the fennel and asparagus into smaller cubes to go in the pot, and slice the rest into larger strips and pieces to be pan-fried as a topping.
- Add the diced fennel and asparagus to the pot together with salt and garlic and stir through.
- Add the rice, white wine and lemon zest and stir through.
- Add the stock, stir through and press Keep Warm/Cancel key on the Instant Pot to stop the Sauté function. Make sure to scrape any rice kernels or vegetables off the inner pot walls.
- Place and lock the lid, making sure the steam releasing handle is pointing to Sealing. Press Manual, High pressure and set to 5 minute. After 3 beeps the pressure cooker will start going.
- While the risotto is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining fennel and asparagus and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden and softened. Drizzle with some lemon juice and set aside.
- Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to release for 2 minutes and then, carefully, use the quick release method to release the rest of the steam and pressure.
- Open the lid and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese. Add extra pepper and taste for salt. Serve topped with pan-fried asparagus and fennel and a side salad.
Stirring risotto continuously for forty minutes remains a rite of passage taught in classical kitchens, though that laborious method is entirely optional. Arborio rice, a short-grain cultivar historically cultivated in the Po Valley of Italy, releases its high amylopectin starch through friction and heat. Traditional stovetop preparation requires adding liquid one ladle at a time so starch molecules shear off gradually into a creamy suspension. Pressure cooking alters this dynamic completely by sealing steam inside the vessel, forcing liquid into the grain rapidly while starch dissolves uniformly under five minutes of high pressure. Fennel and asparagus introduce distinct botanical notes that cut through the rich dairy finish, reflecting Northern Italian spring traditions where bitter greens and bulb vegetables balance heavy fats. Common culinary failures stem from forgetting to scrape the inner pot walls before sealing the lid, which causes stray rice kernels to scorch against the metal surface. Another frequent error involves releasing pressure immediately instead of waiting for the two-minute natural release window, which prevents the starches from fully binding the liquid. Searing the reserved fennel and asparagus strips in a separate frying pan over medium-high heat for five minutes creates a caramelized exterior that contrasts texturally with the tender grains inside. Butter and parmesan cheese must be stirred in vigorously at the very end off the heat to create the characteristic emulsified gloss known as all'onda. Leftovers store safely in an airtight container for up to three days, though reheating requires a splash of water to restore moisture lost during refrigeration.
