Asparagus Risotto with Lemon

Andrew Carmellini: Urban Italian; Day 3; Recipe 3

My intent was to make a different recipe yesterday, but when I got to Whole Foods I did not find what I needed and quickly went with plan b. The truth of the matter is, my favorite asparagus risotto recipe comes from Urban Italian and I've made it a number of times, so I didn't need to rely on the book or a list to know what I needed to buy for the recipe. Unfortunately, however, this quick change of plans did have drawbacks. The asparagus was not as good as that at the farmers market and the basil was perhaps the worst I have ever bought, with bad texture and a weak fragrance. But the dish pulled through and I gave it a little extra dose of lemon to boost the flavor where the basil was lacked. The recipe calls for the spearheads to go into the risotto just at the end, where the stalks get pureed with basil and parsley and stirred into the risotto. I altered this by chopping a few extra stalks so that I could have more whole asparagus pieces in each bowl. Also, the recipe calls for swirling in an organic egg at the end too. I have never tried this, and instead swirl in some butter as a [Carmellini recommended] substitution. When all the ingredients are at their best, this dish is indeed like springtime in a bowl, as stated in the recipe introduction. I think about this recipe in the winter and know that once spring comes, it will be one of the first things I'll be making.