7 Minute Risotto in a Pressure Cooker

As usual for me on Sunday, I get home around 2 pm after running my cooking class in the morning. Today when I got home I was STARVING and needed a quick fix for lunch.

I had been reading online about cooking risotto in a pressure cooker and I had always been skeptical about it. Risotto should cook slowly, taking the time it needs, I've always told myself. But today, the hunger and also the curiosity pushed me to give it a try. Well, I'm glad I did cause the result was excellent and it took me 7 min to bring lunch on the table (while it would have taken me 25 min if I had used the traditional cooking method).

I used my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker but you can use any brands/models.
Here is the recipe!

Ingredients (serves 1):

1/2 cup Italian arborio rice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 asparagus stalks
salt and pepper
1/2 + 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
8 fresh mint leaves
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cream cheese (optional)
1 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

Start off by getting all the ingredients ready. Chop the onion

wash the asparagus

and chop them up leaving the tips slightly longer

In a skillet heat up 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and saute' half of the onion until soft

Add the asparagus, season with salt, pepper and chopped fresh mint.

Cook on low/medium for 10-12 min or until asparagus are cooked. Remove and set aside.

While the asparagus are cooking, prepare your risotto by heating up 1/2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil

Add the remaining half of the onion and cook until soft (2 min). Add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Then add 1/4 cup of dry white wine and let the liquid evaporate at medium/high heat.

Now pour in the vegetable broth, close your pressure cooker and from when it reaches the steaming point, cook the rice on low heat for 5 min.

Open the pressure cooker, the liquid should have absorbed almost completely by now.

Add the asparagus 1/2 tbsp of butter (or 1 tbsp of cream cheese for extra creaminess) and the zest of 1/2 lemon. Stir gently until the butter (or cream cheese) is melted and well incorporated.