TO PREPARE THE MEATLOAF: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saucepan and saut辿 the diced onion over medium heat until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saut辿 an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pulse the bread in a food processor until crumbs form (you will have about 1 cup of crumbs). Set aside 1/2 cup for the meatloaf. Spread out the remaining crumbs on a baking sheet to let them dry out until you use them later (if they are still soft when ready to use, place the baking sheet in an oven on low heat for about 10 minutes before using). Mix the 1/2 cup bread crumbs with the milk and squeeze to release all the liquid you can; discard the liquid.
Place the saut辿ed onion and garlic, dampened bread crumbs, beef, Parmesan, prosciutto, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and mix gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into a cylindrical meatloaf (it must be able to fit into a large loaf pan, an oval ovenproof casserole, or a cooking dish with a 10-inch diameter; the meatloaf can also be cooked in a fish poacher). Roll the meatloaf in the reserved dried bread crumbs. Transfer to a platter and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a saut辿 pan and saut辿 the sliced onion over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until golden. Remove and set aside. Melt the butter in the loaf pan, casserole, or cooking dish, add the meatloaf, and saut辿 on all sides for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Handle the meatloaf gently so that it does not break apart. Add the wine, stock, mushrooms, and saut辿ed sliced onion, and bring to a simmer. Cover, and transfer to the oven.
Braise for about 45 minutes, or until the meatloaf is no longer pink on the inside and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Note that the internal temperature of the meatloaf will continue to rise by 5 to 10 degrees after it has been removed from the oven. Transfer the meatloaf to a heated serving platter. With a spoon, skim any fat from the surface of the sauce. Spoon the sauce with the mushrooms over the meatloaf. Mix the parsley and lemon zest, and sprinkle it over the meatloaf.
TO PREPARE THE RISOTTO: While the meatloaf is braising, prepare the risotto. Trim the asparagus, removing any large or woody ends. Place 2 cups of the water and the salt in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus, turn down the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until just tender, about 7 minutes (cooking time will be determined by the size of the asparagus; if you are using pencil asparagus, it will take about 3 minutes.)Remove the asparagus, reserving the cooking liquid, and dry on paper towels. Cut the asparagus into 3/4-inch lengths, discarding any tough stringy pieces.
Add the cooking liquid to the stock and the remaining 1 cup of water in a clean saucepan and bring to a low simmer. In another heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of oil and saut辿 the asparagus over medium heat for about 2 or 3 minutes; remove and set aside. Add the onion and saut辿 for 5 minutes longer, or until softened. Add the rice an cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well coated. Turn the heat down to medium-low, stir in about 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth, and cook until the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add another cup of broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Repeat this process, adding simmering broth to the rice in small increments until you have used about 4 cups of the broth. Then, begin adding the broth about 1/4 cup at a time, until the rice is almost cooked (if you run out of broth, add simmering water). Return the asparagus to the pan to warm through. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into 1/2-inch cubes and gently stir into the risotto with the cheese; cook about 2 minutes before seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the risotto immediately, with the meatloaf.
WINE RECOMMENDATION: A Gattinara from Italy or a Barbera or Petite Syrah from California.
HELPFUL TIPS: The amount of broth needed for the risotto will vary depending on how quickly the rice cooks and how much broth is absorbed during cooking; do not hesitate to use more or less as you see fit. When adding the broth to the rice, try to maintain a brisk simmer, so that each addition cooks out fairly quickly, otherwise the rice will become glutinous. You can substitute 1/4 cup of the white wine for the same amount of broth if you like. The finished risotto should be tender and creamy but still have a bitable texture (that is, al dente).
