Fry the onion, garlic and leek in olive oil until soft, about 4 minutes, then add the rice and wine and continue cooking until the wine is evaporated then pour in 3/4 of the stock, lemon zest and herbs and season generously with a couple of pinches of salt. Bring to a simmer then cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 15 minutes (you can continue on the hob if preferred).
While the risotto is cooking, briefly simmer the asparagus and peas in salted water, drain and reserve.
Once the rice is cooked, remove from the oven and stir in the parmesan, butter and lemon juice and top with more stock to loosen to your preference. Finally fold in the asparagus and peas and top with the watercress and give it a good turn of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and serve.
Pesto
Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth; or finely chop and grate, top with more olive oil or lemon juice as preferred and drizzle over the risotto for some extra oomph!
Flexitarian Option
Use chicken stock for more flavour. Try Italian mixed herbs or add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. If you really can't live without meat, cubed chicken will go well in this.
Notes
Use chicken stock for more flavour. Try Italian mixed herbs or add a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary. If you really can't live without meat, cubed chicken will go well in this.