Risotto with Spinach

Name: Risotto with Spinach
Yield: serves 6 or more
Ingredients: 10 ounces tender spinach leaves; 6 to 8 cups water; 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cups chopped onions; 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste; 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice; 1 cup white wine; 6 tablespoons butter, in tablespoon-sized pieces; 1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for passing; Freshly ground black pepper to taste; A 3-quart pot for hot water; A heavy 10-inch saucepan, such as an enameled cast-iron French oven

December 14, 2011

Risotto with spinach is delightful, but it is only one of the many risottos made in springtime in Friuli. At the end of winter, the cuisine in Friuli is driven by the wild herbs that people pick or buy from the foragers who come to the markets. These flavorful, healthful greens are cooked in risottos, soups, pasta fillings, and frittatas. This recipe shows the basic technique that is used in Friuli to make risotto with common, delicious plants such as nettles (ortiche), wild asparagus (asparagina), and the popular herb sclopit (Silene vulgaris—maiden’s tears). So, if you happen to come by some of these greens, cook them in place of spinach.

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