This Instant Pot Lemon Asparagus Risotto brings all the vibrant flavors of spring to your bowl. Made with fresh asparagus, zesty lime, and arborio rice, this gluten-free risotto is the best one-pot meal.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: asparagus risotto, instant pot asparagus recipes, lemon risotto
Heat the instant pot in sauté mode and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add broth and deglaze the pot making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
Add the rice, butter, salt and stir well. Make sure all the rice is covered in broth. Close lid with vent in sealing position.
Pressure Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually.
(Optional) If the asparagus* you are using is thick, then while the rice is cooking, saute asparagus in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet on stovetop for 5-8 minutes until it is tender. Take out and set aside.
Add the asparagus, green peas and lemon juice. Then stir in the parmesan. Keep stirring until the cheese is incorporated well into the rice. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Cover the instant pot with a lid and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Serve garnishing with grated parmesan and crushed red chili pepper (if using).
Notes
Asparagus - I sautéed the asparagus in a skillet on stovetop while the rice was cooking in the instant pot. However if you like to make this a one-pot recipe, you can saute asparagus in the instant pot before starting the steps to cook rice in the recipe. If you have thin asparagus stalks, you can add them after pressure cooking right in to the risotto, similar to how I do for my lemon asparagus pasta. Or for thick stalks, you can add them in just before pressure cooking too (do not mix).The asparagus I used was thin and I did not need to be sautéed to cook well with the pasta. However if your asparagus is thicker, there are 2 options –Broth - I used vegetable broth. But other broths would work just as well.Parmesan - I have made this recipe with parmesan. Use cheese from a block, and not the pre-shredded one. Lemon: I used just lemon juice in this recipe, however don't hesitate to up the lemon flavors by adding in some zest too!