Parmesan and Spinach Risotto
This is the easiest risotto you'll ever make! Forget about standing over a hob stirring for ages; you'll only pan-fry ingredients for 10 minutes before you sit back and relax while it bubbles away. An oven-baked risotto might sound strange but trust us, it’s a game-changer! We’ve brought a classic combo of tangy Parmesan and spinach together with garlic and fresh, herby green pesto…
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories389
- Carbs63g
- Protein11g
- Fat9.9g
- Saturates3.2g
- Sugars3.1g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card below. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff in the blurb!
We’re not kidding when we say you can make this Parmesan and Spinach Risotto (mostly!) in the oven! It looks and tastes so impressive, anyone at the table will think you’ve been standing over a hot pan stirring for ages.
You’ll fry onions in a pan for 10 minutes until they’re beautifully soft and ready to combine with garlic, herby green pesto and risotto rice. Then it all goes in an oven dish to bake for 25 minutes while you crack on with other things – seriously, it really is that easy!
You don’t even have to cook the spinach. Simply rest the spinach on the risotto with a lid on top, and come back 5 minutes later to wilted leaves ready to stir in – and more importantly, an oh-so-cheesy pot of risotto that’s cooled enough to dish out!
It’d be rude not to serve with extra Parmesan shavings on top, if you ask us…
What diets is this Parmesan and Spinach Risotto suitable for?
This Parmesan and Spinach Risotto recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets as long as you make sure to use a gluten-free vegetable stock cube.
You can also make it suitable for vegetarian diets by using alternatives for these ingredients:
- Green pesto
- Italian hard cheese
To make this dish suitable for vegan and dairy-free diets, swap in vegan green pesto and a plant-based Parmesan-style hard cheese.
As always, take extra care when cooking for people with allergies and be sure to use different utensils, cookware and preparation areas.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Parmesan and Spinach Risotto?
You can’t make this dish without the magic of green pesto! It’s really easy to find at most supermarkets, or on Amazon.
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Add fresh, herby deliciousness with green pesto.
You’ll use Arborio rice to soak up the flavours.
How many calories are in this Parmesan and Spinach Risotto?
There are 389 calories per portion in this Parmesan and Spinach Risotto, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category.
To cut down the amount of calories even more, you can simply halve the portion size and serve with a healthy accompaniment!
This Parmesan and Spinach Risotto is perfect if you’re following a calorie-controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
Step 2
Spray a casserole pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place on a low to medium heat.
Step 3
Add the onion and gently fry for 8-10 minutes, until soft but not coloured.
Step 4
Add the garlic and pesto and cook for another minute.
Step 5
Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until well coated.
Step 6
Stir in the white wine vinegar, then add the stock.
Step 7
Turn up the heat and stir until the stock is boiling. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
Step 8
Remove from the oven. The stock should have been absorbed and the rice should be tender. Give a good stir and add the lemon juice, Parmesan and season with salt and black pepper.
Step 9
Add the spinach to the top and replace the lid. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the wilted spinach. Top with some extra Parmesan shavings if you want, and serve.
What could I serve with this Parmesan and Spinach Risotto?
This Parmesan and Spinach Risotto is delicious all on its own, or as part of a slimming-friendly spread with any of these side dishes:
How do you know when Parmesan and Spinach Risotto is cooked?
The rice should be cooked until it’s thick and tender from soaking up the risotto sauce. This will take around 25 minutes in the oven.
You’ll leave it to stand for 5 minutes before serving, with the spinach leaves resting on time. Not only will your spinach be wilted and ready to stir in, your risotto will be cooled and ready to dish out!
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Parmesan and Spinach Risotto in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Parmesan and Spinach Risotto in the fridge for a day.
As we all know you can get food poisoning from eating reheated rice, but it’s not actually the reheating that can cause issues, it is, in fact, the way that the rice has been stored beforehand where the problem begins.
Rice can contain spores that are resistant to heat and can survive the cooking process.
If cooked rice is left standing at room temperature these spores can grow into bacteria. At this point, the bacteria can be destroyed by reheating the rice thoroughly.
You should remember to do the following if you’re going to keep leftover rice:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then put it in the fridge immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Reheat and use any leftover rice (stored in the fridge) within one day.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
Can I freeze Parmesan and Spinach Risotto?
Yes, you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label telling you the name of the recipe and the date you’re stashing it in the freezer!
As when keeping rice in the fridge, make sure to do the following if you plan to freeze it:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then freeze it immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Freeze as soon as the rice is cold.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
How do I reheat Parmesan and Spinach Risotto?
From chilled: Place in a microwave-proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot. Add a splash of water if the rice looks dry.
From frozen: Allow to defrost thoroughly, then heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Stir, then cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot. Add a splash of water if the rice looks dry.
For more information about reheating rice please take a look at the NHS website.
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Parmesan and Spinach Risotto
This slimming-friendly Parmesan and Spinach Risotto is the easiest you'll ever make because most of it is baked in the oven – yes, really!
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Prep Time
10 MINS
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Cook Time
35 MINS
- KCals 389
- Carbs 63G
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Spray a casserole pan with low-calorie cooking spray and place on a low to medium heat.
- Add the onion and gently fry for 8-10 minutes, until soft but not coloured.
- Add the garlic and pesto and cook for another minute.
- Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until well coated.
- Stir in the white wine vinegar, then add the stock.
- Turn up the heat and stir until the stock is boiling. Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. The stock should have been absorbed and the rice should be tender. Give a good stir and add the lemon juice, Parmesan and season with salt and black pepper.
- Add the spinach to the top and replace the lid. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the wilted spinach. Top with some extra Parmesan shavings if you want, and serve.
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