Spinach Risotto Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Spinach Risotto
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jul 15, 2022 • 2 min read
Spinach risotto is an excellent way to get leafy greens into your diet. The spinach easily softens into this creamy rice dish.
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What Is Spinach Risotto?
Spinach risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish featuring fresh spinach. To make spinach risotto, cook Arborio rice over low heat with white wine and chicken stock, and stir in spinach at the end of the cooking process. Popular additions to spinach risotto recipes include Parmesan cheese and lemon juice or lemon zest, which cut the bitterness of the greens.
The key to risotto is the cooking method: Sauté the starch and then cook it on low heat as you add ladles of chicken stock. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result in a creamy sauce.
4 Tips for Making Spinach Risotto
When making spinach risotto, consider the following tips:
- 1. Make it a main course. Though appropriate as a side dish, you can also make spinach risotto a main dish by topping it with grilled chicken or fish.
- 2. Remove the risotto from heat before adding dairy. Take the risotto off the heat before stirring in Parmesan cheese. The fats found in dairy products can break and separate when heated.
- 3. Swap the stock. For a vegan risotto dish, use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- 4. Use fresh spinach. For the best flavor, use fresh spinach. When buying any type of fresh spinach, look for bright green leaves. They should not have any dark spots or yellowing. The leaves and the stems should be sturdy and not wilted at all.
Simple Spinach Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
55 mincook time
45 minIngredients
- 1
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a low boil then reduce heat to low, keeping the broth just below a simmer. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 2
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low, then add the shallots and sauté until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- 3
Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- 4
Add the rice to the shallot-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue stirring the rice until well coated and translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 5
Add about ½ cup warm broth and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often, until the rice has fully absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth in ½-cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing the rice to absorb liquid between additions, until rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 6
Remove the pan from heat and add in ½ cup cheese, spinach, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- 7
Serve with additional cheese.
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