I love all risotti. This one used to be one of my favourite as a child. I liked its colour so much! Yet, I hated spinach… this was the only spinach dish I would eat. So it is a great way to make fussy kids eat their veggies. It works well with my 3 year old, as she loves its colour too. It is healthy, creamy, simple and yummy. Try it with your kids, I am sure it will be a success!
Ingredients for 4 persons:
350 gms rice (carnaroli or vialone nano)
400 gms spinach, blanched and blended
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 glass white wine
1 l stock (I use the water in which I have cooked the spinach)
Salt to taste
30 gms butter
50 gms Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Pepper and more grated Parmigiano Reggiano to serve
Start by cleaning and washing the spinach.
Blanch them in boiling salted water for 1 or 2 minutes, then take them out with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl with ice or put them under cold running water for a few seconds so they retain their dark green colour. Preserve the liquid in which you blanched the spinach and use it as stock to cook your rice.
When the spinach has cooled down, put it in an electric mixer and blend it into a paste. Keep it aside.
Put the stock back on the fire. The stock has to be hot all the time while you are cooking risotto, so that the rice temperature does not drop when you add the stock to it.
Put the finely chopped onion and the extra virgin olive oil in a pot and let it cook on a slow fire, until the onion becomes soft and transparent.
Add the rice, mix well and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the rice becomes translucent.
Now pour in the white wine and let the alcohol burn off by cooking on a high flame.
Then add enough stock to cover the rice and turn the fire to medium-low.
Keep cooking, occasionally stirring the rice and adding stock little by little, until the rice is cooked. It is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes to cook depending on the rice you are using.
Approximately 5 minutes before the risotto is ready, add the blended spinach, mix well with the rice and keep cooking.
When the rice is ready, put the fire off and add the butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano to it. Mix very well, until it becomes creamy. Make sure that your risotto is moist (or, as we say, all’onda – which literally means wavy) and not sticky, you can do that by adding 1 or 2 extra tbsp of stock if needed. Check for salt and season it to your liking.
Serve with some more grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper on the top.
NOTE: Whenever you cook risotto, do not wash the rice before cooking. The starch is needed for the risotto to become creamy.
On another note… my dear friends and fellow bloggers Sandra from Sandra’s Easy Cooking and Lizzy from That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!! had tagged me in the Easter Menu Tag Game. You had to create your own Easter menu using your own posts and tag other bloggers. I would have LOVED to participate, but I was away on holiday and did not see the game until I came back… and Easter was already over… Anyhow, please visit Sandra’s and Lizzy’s sites and check out their mouthwatering Easter Menus! You will not be disappointed, they are both fantastic foodies and beautiful persons! 🙂
I love the color! Perfect for spring!
Wow! I missed so much by not being on blogging last week. Spinach is one of my favorite leafy vegetables and with risotto, couldn’t be any better. I love how you explain every single step and take great pictures of them. Is very motivating to try to cook your recipes. Thanks for sharing and since we are on opposite sides of the earth, happy winter to you! 🙂
Spinach is one of my favourite vegetables and I’m happy to eat it raw or cooked. I am also pretty happy tucking into a bowl of risotto. They make a lovely combination and the colour is really beautiful.
Oh yes! I’m going to keep this recipe and try for my kids who still don’t like spinach. Even if they refuse to eat, I LOVE risotto that I don’t mind eating extra… 😀 Thanks for sharing Manu!
Mmmmm this look very tasty, risotto holds its significance is many ways in my kitchen, this looks a great recipe to try. Delicious, thanks for sharing – great idea.
Manu, this is a beautiful risotto, that green color is so intense! Simply stunning! (.. and I’m quite a big fan of spinach)
Lovely photos. This recipe sounds delightful. How strange that I love risotto and love spinach but I have never put them together! This recipe will remedy that! Thanks for posting!!
It looks gorgeous! Have you ever tried beetroot risotto? I’m thinking of giving it a go…
I never tried beetroot risotto, but it sounds delicious and I have seen pictures of it: it has a great colour!
I think I will make this tonight, but I feel like I should add some protein… Would chicken work? Or maybe I shouldn’t mess with perfection…^_^
Hehehe thanks for that! 😉 I never tried adding meat to this and we never use chicken in pasta or risotti… You could add some cheese (like fontina or edam or swiss cheese), OR if you want to add meat… I think pork sausage would work very well here! Let me know how you go if you try it as I think it would actually be quite nice! I may try it myself next time! 🙂
Hmm…I wonder if I can use this to get my 36-year old to eat his spinach 😉
Yummy dish, thanks so much for sharing!
Really easy and nice! The’re so many receipes of difficult risottos, that one normally just leave after reading 10 lines, but this one it is just ready when you finish the tenth line.
Thanks for sharing!
I love this risotto too! I sometimes add pecorino instead of parmigiano to give it a bit of a kick. Also, I always get into battles with my mom that says is OK not to blend the spinach, while I say they have to be blended…..
Hello Manu.This is my firs visit, and I like your blog very much. How else can be when you welcomed me with my favorite recipe: risotto 🙂 Wonderful dish! Mouthwatering pictures! I have to try it. Thanks.
Have a nice day.
Oh Manu, I love risotto too! It is one of my all time favorites. This looks so wonderful!
I love risotto, too.. especially those with veggie 🙂
Stunning looking risotto and yet made with simple and fresh ingredients.