This pea and asparagus risotto with blackened scallops recipe is a fresh and light dish that is a great combination of Mediterranean and Southern cooking. The scallops are blackened and seared to perfection and rest on a bed of fresh pea and asparagus risotto.
You cannot ever go wrong with a good risotto. It is one of those dishes that isn’t hard to make, and you can do so much with it. This pea and asparagus risotto with blackened scallops makes for a great date night dinner or for a special occasion. While it looks like you spent a ton of time and energy this will be ready in less than an hour. One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that it takes two of my favorite cuisines and combines them. Mediterranean and Southern.
Table of Contents
In this recipe
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, however it makes use of fresh seasonal ingredients. My favorite time to make this is when the asparagus is on sale.
Asparagus: adds texture to the risotto.
Scallops: can be fresh or frozen, you will want to get large scallops if possible.
White wine: a dry white wine will give the risotto a nice flavor that pairs well with the scallops and asparagus.
Butter: will help make the risotto creamy
Choosing and preparing the asparagus
When you are looking for asparagus you want firm stalks, with tightly packed blooms. They should be smooth to the touch, vibrant green, and should be able to stand straight. When you are prepping them, you want to grab the woody end of the asparagus and just under the bloom then bend until there is a natural snap in the spear. That will be the tender part of asparagus you will want to use for the recipe. Not all of them will break in the same location and that is ok. Now you can slice them into thin disks.
Making the perfect pea and asparagus risotto
The first thing you want to do is sauté the shallots in olive oil until they are nice and translucent. That is when you add the rice. You will want to stir the rice to get all of it coated in the olive oil and the rice becomes fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. This is where you add the white wine. Since it will not be hot it will cool down the rice temporarily and it will impart its own flavors into the rice. From here it is just a matter of cooking the broth.
You will want to make sure that the vegetable stock is hot and simmering. This will keep the rice cooking. If it isn’t hot, then it will cool down the rice and it will cook unevenly and not completely. Keep an eye on the amount of broth you have left. When you get down to the broth addition before the last ½ cup or so you will want to add the peas and asparagus when you add the broth. This will give it time to cook. Once the broth is about absorbed from the last addition add the butter, remove from the heat and stir until it is melted.
Looking for other scallop recipes?
Pea and Asparagus Risotto with Blackened Scallops
Equipment
- 2 Sauté pans
- Saucepan
- Spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
Blackened Scallops
- 2 pounds sea scallops
- 1½ tablespoon blackening seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pea and Asparagus Risotto
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1 cup peas thawed if frozen
- 1 cup asparagus thinly sliced
- ¼ cup shallots chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making the risotto
- In a saucepan bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Once the vegetable stock starts boiling, reduce to a simmer.4 cups vegetable stock
- Heat a large sauté pan or casserole pan over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil and shallots. Cook until translucent and then add the rice, salt, and pepper.1 cup arborio rice, ¼ cup shallots, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir until rice becomes fragrant, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, Then, add the white wine. Cook until it is absorbed.1 cup white wine, 1 tablespoon garlic
- Reduce the heat to medium and using a ladle add one ladle full of vegetable stock. Stir to mix evenly and cook until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Repeat until ½ cup of vegetable stock remains.4 cups vegetable stock
- Add the peas and asparagus and stir. Add the remaining stock and stir until the broth is almost absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.1 cup peas, 1 cup asparagus, 2 tablespoons butter
Searing the scallops
- Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat.
- While the pan is heating, pat the scallops dry and season all sides of the scallops with the blackening seasoning.2 pounds sea scallops, 1½ tablespoon blackening seasoning
- Add the oil and once it starts to shimmer place the scallops in the pan. Allow to cook unmoved for 3-4 minutes. Flip and then cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Serve the scallops on top of the risotto.
Nutrition
I had some asparagus on hand and this was the perfect recipe for it.