Olive Garden's Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

I've never made risotto before but has been always intrigued at how & what it tastes like. I finally found a perfect recipe online, Olive Garden's Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto.

Cooking this requires time, patience and arm power! The risotto gets thick and a bit harder to mix that I had to ask hubby's help to mix it for me every now and then.

I made this when we had our friends over for lunch. Rich, creamy, and yummy! There were four of us (plus 1 toddler) sharing this, but there were still a lot left (around 1/4 of my serving dish).

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto
from Olive Garden

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 lb fresh asparagus spears, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ lbs large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 4 oz butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

Direction

1. In a large pot or saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer and leave on low heat until needed.
2. In a separate, large nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add the onions and cook for approximately three minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the rice, stir to coat thoroughly and cook for one minute. Next, add the white wine and stir until completely absorbed.
4. Slowly add ½ cup of broth to the risotto and stir until completely absorbed. Repeat this step until 4 cups of broth have been added.
5. Continue to stir the risotto frequently to avoid sticking.
6. While the risotto is cooking, add the asparagus and shrimp to the remaining broth and cook for approximately two minutes or until the shrimp are pink in color.
7. When finished, remove the asparagus and shrimp from the broth and add them to the pot with risotto.
8. Continue to add ½ cup of broth at a time until desired creaminess is reached.
9. Once the broth is absorbed, add butter, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with chopped tomatoes and parsley to complete.