There are some things I do with great ceremony in the kitchen. Work butter into a pie crust, chop carrots for a soup, butter up a whole chicken for roasting. It can all be pretty precious. A luxury, really.
Truthfully, I do these same things in a total slap-dash if I’m in a hurry and need the comfort of pie, soup, or crisp chicken skin in a dang hurry.
Let’s talk about making risotto. It’s all ceremony. The simmering broth, the toasting of the rice, the spooning and stirring, spooning and stirring. I do it well here: Mushroom and Sausage Risotto. It’s a dream.
And then there are the times when I’m doing fourteen things at once (mostly I’m just trying to wash the dishes from the day, watching reality television on my computer, and trying to figure out dinner) and risotto finds its place in the oven. It’s baked, starchy, savory, bright, and cheesy. It’s completely comforting and that’s where we’re at exactly right now.
Here’s what’s on the list for this baked risotto:
• olive oil, diced onions and minced garlic.
• Aborio rice – it’s short grain and starchy.
• a lovely amount of lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh thyme
• frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed within an inch of its life
• chicken stock and a dangerously generous amount of grated parmesan cheese
We’ll start by sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil until they’re tender and browned. Feels good, smells good.
The dry rice gets toasted and coated in fat along with the onions and garlic.
Once the rice is toasted and fragrant, we’ll add a heaping bit of fresh lemon zest. The heat will bring out the lemon oils.
And fresh thyme!
Crushed red pepper flakes for good heat.
Salt and pepper, too because balance is what we’re going for.
The rice + onion + lemon mixture goes into a buttered baking dish along with the frozen and thawed and squeezed spinach. Add warm chicken broth.
Add also, a pleasing amount of grated parmesan cheese.
I like to add finely grated cheese over the shredded Parmesan. The grated cheese melts more evenly.
Get it in there. Give her a good stir. And into the oven!
The risotto simmers away in the oven and we’ll reach in three or so times to give the mixture a stir and add a bit more broth if the rice is thirsty.
We’re going for a starchy almost creamy and thick rice dish where the rice is cooked through but still has a bit of bite to it. As the dish sits, it will continue to absorb liquid.
To finish: fresh parsley + more cheese (because that makes sense) and crushed red pepper flakes.
Call a buddy. Pop the white wine. Settle in for a bowl or three.
Photos with my dear friend: Jon Melendez.
PrintBaked Lemon Spinach Risotto
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup small diced yellow onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups dry Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1 tabespoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to top
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to top
- butter for coating the dish
- chopped parsley for topping
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until transluscent and browned, about 5 minutes. Just as the mixture is browning nicely, add dry rice and toss to coat. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the rice is toasted and just beginning to brown. Add the lemon zest, thyme leaves, chili flakes, salt and pepper and spinach. Toss to heat through.
- Transfer the onion and rice mixture to the prepared buttered dish. Pour warm chicken broth, water, and lemon juice over the rice mixture. Add cheese and stir gently to ensure even cooking.
- Place in the oven and allow to cook, uncovered for 40 – 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes. Rice is done when liquid is absorbed and mixture is cooked through and creamy. If rice mixture is still crunchy, add more hot water or hot chicken broth about 1/3 cup at a time.
- When cooked though, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before tasting. Add salt to taste. Serve topped with fresh parsley, crushed red pepper, and more cheese. Rice will last, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 3 days. If the rice becomes too thick in the refrigerator, loosen while heating with water or broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
Alli
This was great! Will cut back on the red pepper next time. Men was done perfectly at 40 min.
Alli
*mine;)
Brittany
This looks DELICIOUS. Lemon and spinach is a great combo!
Melissa
Fabulous. Cool time was about 40 for me. So quick on a weeknight and tastes like I had to stand there and stir, stir, stir. Thanks joy!!! My family loves it!n
Elizabeth
Joy, this is freaking AMAZING! Made it tonight for dinner after seeing it on your Instagram and I’m pretty sure it’s the best decision I’ve made all week. It’s like eating a warm hug…everyone I served it to loved it! Thanks for gracing us with your delicious creations.
Tara
This looks great and I love all things lemon!! Do you have a suggestion to make it dairy free?
tracey
love the photos and can’t wait to try this lovely recipe! quick question(s) … you mentioned lemon juice in the text prior to the actual recipe, but i cant’ find it in the instructions. am i missing something?!? i love all things lemon and don’t want to mess this up! also, 12 T is a lot of zest! no complaints. any tips for mass zesting and did you have to use 12 lemons to get that much zest??? thx again for another recipe i look forward to making.
joythebaker
Sorry Tracy! I’ve added the lemon juice and also… it’s 2 tablespoons of lemon zest! Yeesh!
Lisa
Would this reheat well? To give baked to a friend who just had a baby?
joythebaker
I think this reheats well up to about three days, and reheating, you might want to add a bit of extra water or broth. Honestly, I think the dish is best served fresh from the oven so for your friend (congrats to them!) you might want to try a different recipe.
Elizabeth @ Take On E
I love this idea — I love risotto but agree that sometimes it’s easier to ditch the ceremony! Love the addition of fresh lemon, too. I had a delicious snapper served over lemon risotto once… what a delightful food memory that made!
Tori//Gringalicious.com
I just love lemon in my savory dishes! Thank for another great dish to try, Joy! Happy Holidays!
Nina
Hi Joy, Is it really 12 tablespoons of lemon zest, or is that a typo? It seems like more than in the photos.
courtney
I’m curious about your photos – I’ve noticed that your friend Jon is frequently credited for the photos, and I thought he was based in CA. Do you usually whip up a pile of recipes on trips to CA? Or how does that work?
Ashley
Wow! This looks incredible – and so easy!
Sarah
I make Ina’s Easy Parmesan Risotto all the time in the dutch oven, excited to add a new simplified Risotto to the mix!
Seana Turner
I love risotto, but I do agree that it takes some time and ceremony. Standing by the stove for 25 minutes isn’t always within the realm of possibility, so it is nice to have an option where you can do a couple other things while it is cooking! Love lemon and spinach…
Chocolatebaker
Thanks it came out great.an yes I had left over Turkey I diced it in. it also used fresh spinach diced. It was a quick dinner an Good .