Tasty Tuesdays: Baked Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach, and Parmesan

I was just over visiting Mary Loyal's blog here, and the recipe she had for risotto cakes sounded so tasty.   Have you ever made risotto?  It is a dish that realllyyy tests my culinary patience, I will admit.  You would think that a girl who can wait for her roux to turn the color of mahogany could stir in some chicken broth until the natural starchiness of the risotto comes through.  But no.  I get impatient and turn the heat up and then my liquid runs out before the risotto has a chance to fully cook.  Don't get me wrong, I like my pasta al dente, but crunchy.  No thank you.

At some point, I came across this recipe on myrecipes.com for baked risotto with asparagus, spinach, and parmesan, and I thought I'd try it to see if I had better luck when the slow cooking was left to the oven as opposed to me.  Turns out, the oven does a darn good job!  I find that this dish is the perfect base for any of your favorite ingredients.  Try it with mushrooms and asiago.  Add in lemon and cherry tomatoes.  Toss in some basil for a a little sweetness and some color.  Anything you like!  Also, I always substitute one half cup of broth with one half cup of white wine.  Why not!

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1  cup  uncooked Arborio rice
• 8  cups  spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
• 2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 1/2  cups  (1-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender. Add rice; stir well. Stir in spinach, broth, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer; cook 7 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

Cover and bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Stir in asparagus; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Cover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

309 (22% from fat)

Fat:

7.6g (sat 2.9g,mono 3.7g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

12.3g

Carbohydrate:

47.6g

Fiber:

3.7g