Baked Risotto

In my short time blogging, I already mentioned my obsession with the sweet pea risotto at the now closed restaurant Taste.  Today, I am discussing my love for risotto again.  When I had my “last supper” at Taste before we moved to Vegas, the owner knew I was moving.  (I had to tell him because I had to justify why I came in three times in one week just to order his risotto) Then, bam, I move back to Kansas and they close shortly after.  Sad, sad day.  Anyway, they told me since I was moving they would give me the recipe, but things got busy and I never took the time to follow through.  Now that they are closed I may try to find their names online and see if I can do some Sherlock Holmes action and find him to get that recipe.  Until then, this recipe below will satisfy my cravings. 

Let’s face it, the time consuming process of making risotto is what keeps most people from making it.  It takes a long time to slave over the stove stirring, adding more liquid, boiling it down, add more liquid, then repeat.  I have good news! There is an alternative way to make an amazing risotto dish.  BAKE IT.  I have to give credit to my mom for finding the recipe.  She saw it in the Kansas City Star a year or so ago and we both frequently make it now.  It is SO easy-you still have to bring it to boil, but then you stick it in the oven to finish.  Then you just stir in your vegetables.  The recipe calls for peas, but I usually add whatever I have on hand.  I’ve added asparagus, zucchini and sometimes if I don’t have anything I just do the spinach and call it good.  Whatever your family prefers will work.  Just make sure you don’t add it from the beginning b/c it will get too mushy/cooked.  I usually add it at it the final 5 to 10 minutes of cooking or just stir it in at the end so it’s nice and crispy.  I use vegetable or chicken broth depending on what I have on hand.  The pictures below are with chicken broth.  The vegetable broth gives it a brownish tint and isn’t quite as flavorful, but it is healthier that way.  Although I am alwasy tempted to double the recipe, I usually make a half batch since there is just the two of us.  It is good leftover, but it isn’t super healthy so I try to just have one or two servings leftover for my lunches that week. 

Baked Risotto With Spinach And Peas

2 T. butter

1 cup chopped shallot

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

½ C. dry white wine or cooking wine

3 C. vegetable or chicken broth

1 C. Arborio rice

1 C. frozen peas, thawed (or whatever veggie(s) you like

4 oz. fresh spinach, chopped (about 2 C.)

¼ C. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees.   In a saucepan over medium-high heat melt butter.  Add shallot, 1/4 t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper and cook, stirring often, 3-5 minutes.  Add wine and cook, stirring 2-3 minutes until almost evaporated.  Add broth and rice and bring to a boil.  Once it boils transfer to a 9 X 13 pan.  Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes until rice is tender.  Remove from oven and add chopped spinach and peas (or other veggies), parmesan cheese, ¼ t. salt and 1/8 t. pepper.  Stir to combine.  If it is too thick, gradually add hot water to thin.

This is on the stovetop after I added the wine and reduced it until it was almost evaporated. 



This is what it looks like right out of the oven



The beautiful finished product.  When I made this I added spinach and I also had some delicious snap peas from the farmers market so that's what I added.  Use what you have-mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, etc.