Spinach Artichoke Risotto with Creamy Mascarpone Cheese

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Risotto is easy and enjoyable to make
• Leftovers are great but can also be used for arancini
• Great dish for spring, or any time of the year.
• Risotto is elegant without being overcomplicated
• ​The perfect comfort food dish!

Risotto Origins in Italy

Rice has been around in Italy since 14 BC when the Arabs introduced it to the Italian peninsula. The current form of risotto has its origins in the early 1800s as that is the first written recipe for modern risotto. Risotto is most often associated with the cuisine of northern Italy and is very popular in places such as Milan, Genoa, Venice, and Verona, to name a few. The rice is a short to medium grain starchy rice that is never rinsed before cooking as that starch is what makes risotto uniquely creamy.

What Types of Rice are Best for Risotto

To make risotto, we recommend using Carnaroli Rice, Vialone Nano Rice or Arborio Rice. Arborio rice is generally the easiest to find in US grocery stores, but we prefer carnaroli because it is very starchy and holds its texture a bit better than arborio.

Ingredients

Here is what you need to make this recipe:

• Artichokes: Canned small artichoke hearts are perfect for this recipe.
• Kosher Salt
• Olive Oil: Just a little used to sear the artichoke hearts and some extra good extra virgin olive oil for garnish
• Vegetable Stock: Vegetable stock adds a subtle layer of flavor, and keeps this dish vegetarian.
• Unsalted Butter: We use most to cook the onion and rice and a little at the end for flavor and richness 
• Yellow Onion: One of the base ingredients in most risotto recipes, the onion is sautéed in butter before adding the rice.
• Rice: Our preference is Carnaroli, a starchy medium grain Italian rice, but Vialone Nano or Arborio rice work here as well. 
• Dry White Wine: Adding a bit of dry white wine is traditional and adds a great subtle flavor in risotto. Pinot Grigio is our favorite for this.
• Fresh Spinach: The spinach cooks very quickly in this dish and adds nice flavor and color to the dish.
• Parmesan cheese: This classic ingredient for risotto gives it an elevated and sophisticated flavor. We highly recommend using the real parmigiano reggiano grated fresh for best results.
• Mascarpone Cheese: This non-traditional ingredient in risotto is great for flavor and texture here giving it a nice creamy consistency.
• Black Pepper: Just a pinch at the end gives a good flavor
• Lemon Zest: The lemon zest is something that really brightens the dish and complements the artichokes, but is a bit more subtle than using lemon juice.

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions

Here are a couple of common substitutions for the ingredients in this recipe:

• Rice: Besides Carnaroli, you could use Vialone nano or Arborio rice
• Artichokes: Frozen or fresh artichokes are also an option here if desired.
• Spinach: You could also use baby kale here instead.
• Stock: ​Chicken stock can be used in place of vegetable stock if desired.

How to Make Spinach Artichoke Risotto

Making risotto has an unwarranted reputation as being difficult to make. It is far from that as it is quite easy to bring this dish together. For this version, the artichokes are halved and seared for a few minutes in olive oil and added at the end. The onion is cooked in the butter, the rice is added to toast in the butter and absorbs some flavor, then the wine is added for flavor and acidity. Once the wine is absorbed, the rice is stirred while adding warm stock. It is finished with spinach and the cheeses as well as the lemon zest. A delicious dish that satisfies and doesn't take forever! 

Equipment

Here is what you need to make this creamy risotto dish

• A small frying pan for the artichokes
• A large sauté pan or braiser to make the risotto in
• A smaller pot to warm the stock
• A zester or microplane for zesting the lemon

Prepare the Artichokes

• Drain and halve the artichoke hearts. Dry them well with paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the artichokes and cook on each side until they start to brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Start the risotto foundation

• Heat the vegetable stock over medium-low heat in the small pot then reduce to a gentle simmer on low. Meanwhile, in the large sauté pan or braiser, add 3 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Once melted add the onion and cook until translucent and tender, but not browned. Add the rice and stir well to coat the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes to “toast” the rice. Add the wine and stir and cook until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice. 

Cook the Rice

• Start incorporating the stock by adding 1-2 ladles at a time while stirring the rice. Once almost absorbed, add another ladle or two of stock, stirring often. Continue until the rice is tender but not mushy and has a little bite (this should take about 18-20 minutes). Once almost done, add one more ladle of stock.

Finish the Risotto

• With the last ladle of stock, add the spinach and stir. It should wilt completely in about a minute. Turn the heat off and then stir in the mascarpone and the last tablespoon of butter. Once they are incorporated, stir in the grated parmesan cheese. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Finally, fold in the lemon zest and seared artichokes. Serve and garnish with basil, olive oil or more parmesan.

Variations

Here are a couple ways to change up this recipe:

• You can replace the artichokes with asparagus and the lemon zest with orange zest for a completely different version of this dish.
• Adding grilled chicken in small pieces or shrimp is an option if you wanted a protein in the dish.

Storage

How to store leftover risotto:

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to reheat leftover risotto:

• Gently in a pan is the best way over low heat. It might be necessary to add a bit of stock or water to loosen it up. Unfortunately, there is no way to make it as creamy as when you initially made it but it still tastes great leftover!

Can you freeze leftover risotto?

• This risotto freezes fine. The texture will not be as good but the flavor will be. Make sure the risotto is cooled before sealing and placing in the freezer. It will last for 3-4 months frozen.

What to Make with Leftover Risotto

The most popular leftover risotto recipe is arancini. Arancini are made from leftover risotto shaped into balls, sometimes with a little mozzarella or another cheese tucked in the center, then breaded and fried. They are a very popular street food in Sicily but are gaining in popularity and can be found in many places now.

Troubleshooting

If for some reason you run out of stock and you just need a ladle or so more, use hot water and it will work fine. 

What to serve with Risotto

This dish can stand on its own, but is also nice with some sort of grilled protein, such as a pork chop, veal chop, chicken, or fish. 

What Wines To Drink with Risotto

White wines work the best and the top three we recommend with this dish are Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco, and Chardonnay (Italian is our choice). A nice rosé will also pair well with this risotto as long as it is dry.