the wooden spoon: parmesan and spinach risotto

 

this is bar-none one of my favorite side dishes to make especially when we need to make use of soon-to-be wilted spinach!

 

here's what you'll need:

extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of arborio rice

1 cup of parmesan cheese

3 cups of chicken broth (or if you're vegetarian, veggie broth work great too)

fresh spinach

first heat up a few dribbles (or 3 tablespoons) of evoo in a medium pot on medium-high heat. once warmed, add in your cup of arborio rice and toss about in the evoo until completely coated and rice is warmed. this doesn't take more than a minute or two so don't leave the kitchen to do things like watch girl tv (what T calls the shows i like to watch like the real housewives of new jersey)!

quickly add in a cup of chicken broth, stir the mixture and let sit until broth is completely absorbed into the rice.

 

like so (man, this would be a great time to know how to create an up arrow!). once absorbed, add in another cup, stir and let sit until absorbed. then repeat once more with your last cup of broth.

 

now that your rice - now risotto, has done the amazing growing trick, turn off your burner and add in the parmesan cheese. stir about until well mixed and deliciously cheesy looking.

 

then add in your spinach - this part is up to you as to how much you may love Popeye. T and i are big fans so we add in a pretty heaping handful (or handfuls).

serve up and enjoy! our favorite pairing with this side dish is usually salmon but, of course, you can get creative with what you'd like to serve it with!

adelaide