Creamy spinach risotto is a recipe that combines the tradition of Italian cuisine with a modern touch. This dish is delicious thanks to its creaminess and rich flavor. Prepared with fresh ingredients (or quickly with frozen spinach) and using a few variations recommended by Grandma Benedetta, this risotto will win you over in an instant. With the help of the Thermomix, you can make this preparation even quicker and easier. Additionally, finishing the risotto with ricotta, gorgonzola, or Philadelphia will make this dish particularly tasty and creamy.
SEASON for #spinach – from September to May. Frozen spinach is available all year round.
RECIPES with spinach
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
- Energy 353.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 66.20 (g) of which sugars 2.22 (g)
- Proteins 8.34 (g)
- Fat 6.17 (g) of which saturated 1.14 (g)of which unsaturated 0.56 (g)
- Fibers 2.96 (g)
- Sodium 873.50 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 368 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Creamy Spinach Risotto
- 1 quart vegetable broth (I used 3 1/3 cups)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (or peanut oil)
- 1 onion (about 2 oz)
- 10 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1.5 cups Arborio rice (Carnaroli, Roma or Vialone nano)
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil (raw – for a light version)
- butter (soy for vegans – half a pat per person)
- to taste nutritional yeast (for vegans)
- ricotta (a tablespoon per person)
- gorgonzola (a tablespoon per person)
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife smooth blade
- Pan for risotto
Creamy Spinach Risotto
Prepare the vegetable broth and keep it hot.
Clean and wash the onion, then chop it finely by hand (or use a chopper), sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil and some broth (or water) for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, clean and wash the spinach, then cut them into strips or uniform pieces.
Add the spinach to the sautéed onions and let them shrink in volume with cooking, if necessary cover the pot with a lid.
Then add the rice and toast it, continuing to stir. If desired, deglaze with half a glass of wine.
Now it’s time to add the broth, a few ladles at a time, the rice must always remain covered with a thin layer of liquid.
When fully cooked and while the risotto is still creamy and not too dry, turn off the heat and add raw extra virgin olive oil, stir to let it absorb.
Optionally finish the risotto with other ingredients.
Simply, puree with the immersion blender the cooked spinach with a little vegetable broth (or water). Create a green cream to add at the end of cooking to the risotto (already toasted in the pan and cooked with vegetable broth).
Enrich with:
– turmeric or saffron
– other seasonal vegetables: asparagus, carrots, peas, zucchini
– a grated apple or pear halfway through cooking
At the end of cooking, finish the risotto with good butter and grated cheese or alternatively to make it even creamier with: casatella, crescenza, gorgonzola, mascarpone, ricotta, robiola, stracchino.
Scramble 2 eggs and add them in pieces to the spinach risotto at the end of cooking.
Add cooked shrimp.
Cook the gourmet risotto by Cannavacciuolo with shellfish broth and clams.
Add to the sauté or at the end: crispy speck, browned sausage, cooked and drained pancetta, strips of cooked ham.
STORING spinach risotto
It’s best to eat the risotto hot and freshly finished. Alternatively, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within three days.
