Prepare a bowl of iced water.

In a small pot, boil some water over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of salt. Once the water is boiling, add the asparagus for 30 seconds. Using a colander, drain the pot and immediately transfer the asparagus pieces to the iced water.

Once the asparagus are cooled, transfer them to a paper towel to dry.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent for about 3 minutes, while stirring constantly.

Add the Arborio rice and stir constantly to coat completely with the olive oil, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the white wine and allow it to reduce and evaporate.

Slowly add the warm chicken broth to the rice, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Once the first ½ cup of broth is absorbed by the rice, add another ½ cup of the broth, stirring constantly until absorbed. Repeat this step until you have used all of the broth and never stop stirring or you risk it sticking to the bottom of the pot. It will usually take about 35 to 45 minutes total, but can take longer – think of it as a stirring meditation!

Next, stir in the peas. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan, butter and asparagus. Stir to combine and salt to taste. To serve, garnish with black pepper and extra parmesan. Lovely with a squeeze of lemon!