Of all the vegetables that herald the arrival of spring, none is quite so celebrated – or so elegant – as asparagus!

Slender, vivid and fleeting, its season is short but deeply anticipated. And in Italian kitchens, there is no more beloved way to showcase it than in a bowl of creamy, tender asparagus risotto – a dish that captures the essence of spring with every bite.

Risotto itself is a cornerstone of northern Italian cuisine, with roots in the fertile Po Valley where rice was introduced in the Middle Ages. By the 14th century, rice cultivation had taken hold in regions like Lombardy and Veneto, and cooks began developing methods to coax maximum richness from humble ingredients. The risotto technique – slowly stirring hot stock into starchy rice until it becomes creamy and tender – is one of Italy’s most enduring culinary gifts.

While risotto can be made with almost anything, asparagus is a seasonal favourite, prized for its freshness and its bright, grassy notes. Traditionally, the asparagus is blanched and its tender tips reserved, while the stalks are puréed or chopped and folded into the rice. The result is a risotto that glows green and sings with the subtle flavour of spring.

In Italy, asparagus risotto is especially associated with the northern regions – Veneto, Piedmont, Lombardy – where both rice paddies and wild asparagus flourish. It’s often served at Easter or during Primavera (springtime), when markets are filled with bundles of just-cut spears. White asparagus, prized in parts of Germany and northern Italy, sometimes makes its way into the dish too, lending a slightly more delicate, nutty flavour.

While asparagus is not native to Cyprus, it has long been grown here and is harvested between March and May. Known locally as sparangia, it’s often prepared in traditional stews with eggs or lemon. In recent years, it has also become a feature of more modern dishes across the island – and risotto is one of the most popular ways it appears on restaurant menus each spring.

What makes asparagus risotto so timeless is its balance – rich yet fresh, simple yet sophisticated. It captures that brief moment when spring is still new, when green things are just returning, and when the lighter flavours of the season feel like a reward after winter’s weight. It’s not just a dish – it’s a marker of the year’s turning, of hands-on cooking, and of the small joy found in a plate full of green.