Baking a risotto, as opposed to stirring one, is another great idea for an easy mid week meal.
This recipe starts off on the stove, only for a few minutes, and then takes 30 minutes in the oven. In my house, this means I throw dinner in the oven first and then get stuck into homework with the boys.
If you use a baking dish that can go from stove top to oven, then it also ticks the box of minimal washing up.
I first read about this yummy combination in the April edition of DELICIOUS magazine back in 2010. My variations are that of using a Spinach Pesto instead of a Basil Pesto (recipe below) and also adding sweet potato. These are two easy ways to incorporate more vegetables.
If you are short on time, by all means, use a store-bought pesto. There are many to choose from in the supermarket.
If you make the Spinach Pesto below, you will use about half of it in this recipe and the other half will keep in the fridge for about a week. It is great simply stirred through some pasta for an extra speedy dinner.
This serves our family of 5 and there is never a mouthful left over!
Ingredients
25gm unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, peeled and finely chopped
400gm of arborio rice
100ml of white wine (if you don’t want to use white wine, just use an extra 100ml of chicken stock at this point)
1 litre chicken stock
3/4 cup of spinach pesto (recipe below)
1 medium size sweet potato, peeled and chopped into chunky pieces
Basil leaves to serve
Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 a punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius
Line a baking tray with baking paper and place the cherry tomatoes, cut side up, on tray.
Drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Heat butter and olive oil in an oven proof pan.
Add onion and stir for a few minutes till soft.
Add rice and stir for 1 minute.
Add wine (or stock) and stir for a few minutes or until the liquid has been mostly absorbed.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the sweet potato and bring to the boil.
Place a lid on the dish and put it in the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes. You will know when it’s ready when the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is plump and soft.
Remove from the oven and stir the pesto through it.
Top with roasted tomatoes and basil leaves to serve.
Spinach Pesto
Ingredients
100gm of baby spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons of blanched or flaked almonds
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup smooth ricotta
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of basil paste (or you can add a small handful of fresh basil leaves)
Method
Lightly steam the baby spinach leaves in the microwave until slightly wilted. Rinse under cold water and squeeze excess water out of the leaves with your hands.
Throw the spinach leaves and remaining ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.
