(Almost) Springtime Risotto

Cooking dinner for yourself can be a little daunting. Sometimes, it's just easier to make a  fast sandwich and call it a night, than put together a complicated meal for one. For the past few weeks, I've been turning to an old standard for dinner, Grilled Cheeses. They're cheap, super easy, and can be inventive, but (and I can't believe I'm saying this), I'm a little grilled cheese out. And sadly, even with the weeks of practice, I didn't enter the 2nd Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational due to some scheduling issues. Oh well; there's always next year. 

Anyways, after taking a peak in my fridge last night, I decided to make something more exciting. I found a few slices of bacon, a bunch of asparagus, Parmesan, Arborio rice, and chicken stock. Yes! A risotto with bright green asparagus, with a hint of bacon would be the perfect meal for one. It was a rich, creamy dish for a beautiful, (almost)  springtime evening. Plus, I had just enough leftovers for a small lunch this afternoon.

Bacon and Asparagus Risotto. 

• 4 Slices of bacon
• A small bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
• 2 C. Chicken Broth
• 2 tbs. Butter
• 3 tbs. Onion
• 1 c. Arborio Rice
• 1/3 C. White Wine
• 1/2 C. Grated Parmesan 
• Salt
• Black Pepper

-Fry bacon, until crisp. Set aside, and chop into small pieces when cool. 

-Reserve a bit of the bacon fat in the pan and saute asparagus until bright green. 

- In a small saucepan, heat broth and keep warm.

-Meanwhile in a large saucepan, melt butter, add onion, and saute until translucent on medium heat.

-Stir in rice until well coated with butter.

- Add wine, and stir rice until wine is completely absorbed. 

-Add enough of the warm broth to barely cover rice. Cook and continually stir rice until chicken stock is absorbed. Continue cooking in this manner, adding broth a bit at a time. Additional water may be needed. 

- The rice is done when it's tender, yet firm to the bite. When rice is almost to this point, add the reserved asparagus and bacon. 

-When rice is completely done, remove pan from heat. Then stir in Parmesan, salt, and pepper.