Spinach Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Sangiovese
Featured in our 2019 Friday Foodie Series
Ingredients
6 cups hot vegetable broth
1 stick unsalted butter, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
2 anchovies in oil (optional)
2 cups of Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine (Iron Hub Sauvignon Blanc)
1 lb. baby plum tomatoes
1⁄4 cup olive oil
8 oz. young, fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained
2 cups fresh arugula leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated Parmisiano Reggiano cheese, to serve
Directions
Put the broth in a sauce pan and keep at a gentle simmer. Melt half the butter in a large
heavy sauce pan and add onions (and anchovies). 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 until it has almost
disappeared. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the tomatoes in a roasting pan and sprinkle with olive
oil. Mix well to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes 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 broth, a large ladle 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 broth as necessary. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, but the
grains still firm. Just before the rice is cooked, stir in the spinach and arugula. Taste
and season with salt and pepper, then beat in the remaining butter and Parmisiano
Reggiano. You may add a little more broth at this time to loosen the risotto.
Cover and let rest for a couple of minutes so the risotto can relax, the cheese melt, and
the spinach and arugula wilt. Fold in the tomatoes and their juices, then serve
immediately. May top with some grated Parmisiano Reggiano.
Enjoy with Iron Hub Sangiovese.