Your New Party Trick: Spinach Artichoke Risotto

Italian risotto provides a hearty base for a host of flavors. The dish is made by carefully combining Arborio rice and warm broth. It must be stirred continuously until thick and creamy. With all the flavor and none of the complexities, this risotto is a change of pace to weeknight dinners, meal preps and those new adult parties we may be hosting. While the dish can have sophisticated flavor profiles, the ingredients are relatively low-cost and can be tailored to fit a budget. When the next potluck party rolls around, this dish will shine among the dinner rolls and prepackaged cookies. 

There’s only two rules for risotto: always be stirring and use warm broth. Stirring the rice will let the liquids absorb evenly and keep the rice from burning. Warm broth must be slowly introduced. If not, the temperature of the pot will fluctuate and overcook the dish. 

Makes 2 servings 

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Arborio rice 

• 2 cups of veggie or chicken broth

• 1 shallot

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 can of artichokes

• 3 cups of fresh spinach (substitute: frozen spinach)

• 3 Tbsp. of butter

• 1/4 cup of cream cheese

• 1/2 cup white wine 

• Lemon

• Handful of parmesan

Instructions

1. Pour broth into one pot, simmer on medium to low heat 

2. Finely dice shallot and chop garlic 

3. Drizzle olive oil into the pan. Wait for oil to get hot, but do not let it smoke. 

4. Drop shallots into the pot, cook until they become translucent, approximately three to four minutes

5. Add garlic after shallots are cooked, keep on medium heat  

6. Without rinsing the rice, add it to the pot. The starches on the rice contribute to the creaminess of the dish. 

7. Using a wood spoon or rubber spatula, cook the rice for two minutes 

8. Fry rice in the pan, then coat with white wine. Don’t be afraid to give it a healthy splash

9. Let wine cook off for two minutes

10. Ladle in the warm broth, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir until broth is fully absorbed 

11. Taste the rice, and sprinkle salt and pepper accordingly

12. Add the last of broth, let it cook down once more

13. Depending on your preference of crunch, add more stock as needed. Rice should taste just shy of cooked

14. Add another splash of white wine, then cook off 

15. Add the slices of cubed butter

16. Drain the artichokes and break apart according to preference, then add to pot

17. Sprinkle Parmesan, continue to stir

18. Add 1/2-1/4 cup of cream cheese, based on desired level of creaminess

19. Add spinach last

20. Finish off with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Illustration by Julia Ramirez for ORANGE Magazine.