Spinach and rocket risotto with roast tomatoes excerpted from I’ll Have the Risotto!: 50 delicious recipes for Italian rice dishes by Maxine Clark.
Creamy, satisfying and delicious, risotto is one of the world’s favourite rice dishes. This Italian comfort food is so versatile and works well made with vegetables, fish, shellfish, meat and poultry.
Different regions of Italy have their own classic rice dishes, from the soupy Rice and Peas of the Veneto to the Hunter’s-style Rabbit Risotto of Umbria and Tuscany, but what they all have in common is the careful cooking of the rice to perfection. For a simple but comforting dinner, there are plenty of dishes packed full of warming cheese and butter, such as Saffron Risotto, Wild Mushroom Risotto or Artichoke and Pecorino Risotto. Lighter fish and shellfish dishes include the dramatic Black Risotto, flavoured with squid ink, Seafood Risotto or Crab and Chilli Risotto.
There are also many tempting meaty options, from hearty family meals to dinner party dishes. Children and adults alike will enjoy Ham and Leek Risotto, while you can impress guests with Pheasant and Red Wine Risotto. There are also a few ideas for using up leftover risotto (or for when you simply want to ring the changes), such as Arancini or Rice Croquettes with Tomato Sauce, as well as some surprising sweet delights such as Cherry and Almond Risotto Puddings or Risotto Ice Cream.
With useful recipes for various stocks, easy-to-follow instructions for making a basic risotto and a guide to the different kinds of rice available, this is a complete guide to risotto for all lovers of the classic Italian dish.
Spinach and rocket risotto with roast tomatoes
Risotto con spinaci, rucola e pomodori
This simple risotto makes the most of young spinach and peppery rocket/arugula, but watercress makes a good alternative if you can’t find it. Even if you hate anchovies, don’t leave them out. They will dissolve into nothing, but add a salty, savoury flavour to the heart of the risotto. If you are a vegetarian, you could add a dash of soy sauce to the stock instead.
about 1.5 litres/6 cups hot Vegetable Stock (page 149)
125 g/1 stick unsalted butter 1 onion, finely chopped
1 salted anchovy, boned, split and rinsed, or 2 anchovy fillets in oil
400 g/2 cups risotto rice
150 ml/2⁄3 cup dry white wine
400 g/1 lb. baby plum tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
200 g/8 oz. young fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained
50 g/2 oz. fresh rocket/arugula leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
SERVES 4
Put the stock in a saucepan and keep at a gentle simmer. Melt half the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and add the onion and anchovy. Cook gently for 10 minutes until soft, golden and translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir until well coated with the butter and heated through. Pour in the wine and boil hard to reduce until it has almost disappeared. This will remove the taste of raw alcohol. Remove from the heat.
Put the tomatoes in a roasting tin/pan and sprinkle with olive oil. Mix well to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) Gas 6 for about 20 minutes or until slightly collapsed with the skins beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Return the risotto to the heat, warm through and begin adding the stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring gently until each ladle has been almost absorbed into the rice. The risotto should be kept at a bare simmer throughout cooking, so don’t let the rice dry out – add more stock as necessary. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm. (This should take between 15–20 minutes depending on the type of rice used.) Just before the risotto is cooked, stir in the spinach and rocket/arugula. Taste and season well with salt and pepper and beat in the remaining butter and the Parmesan. You may like to add a little more hot stock to the risotto at this stage to loosen it. Cover and let rest for a couple of minutes so the risotto can relax, the cheese melt and the spinach and rocket/arugula wilt. Fold in the tomatoes and juices and serve immediately.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.