Risotto with spinach and cherry tomatoes

Sustainability tips:

The main ingredients of this recipe are generally sustainable. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. Below are some additional tips to go more sustainable for those who have the time and availability . Fresh, organic spinach are the most sustainable choice. Regular spinach use a fair amount of pesticides and with the frozen choice comes the plastic bag. The same can be said for the ready made broth that usually comes in a non-recyclable container.

Useful things to have ready

• Vegetable broth can be prepared anytime and kept in the freezer in a glass jar (click here to see how to prepare vegetable broth). I used to find the vegetable buillon cubes but can’t find those anymore.
• Washed and chopped spinach (click here to see how to wash fresh spinach)

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

• Risotto Arborio or Carnaroli (1 fistful/person + 2 more)
• 2 bunches of fresh spinach or half bag of frozen spinach (see above how to wash fresh spinach)
• 1 cups of vegetable broth (see above how to prepare vegetable broth)
• One table spoon of olive oil
• Half onion finely chopped
• Half teaspoon of red chili pepper or black pepper (optional)
• Half shot glass of white wine (optional)
• 2 spoons of tomato puree
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes
• Salt

Procedure

1. Wash the spinach thoroughly
2. Chop the spinach
3. Wash the cherry tomatoes and slice them in half
4. In a wok heat the olive oil
5. Add onions and sautee until golden
6. Add red pepper (optional)
7. Add rice and sautee for 1 minute on medium heat

1. Add white wine and let evaporate (optional)
2. Add spinach, mix and cook one minute
3. Add enough broth to cover the rice
4. Add tomato puree
5. Lower the heat and let it cook adding broth or water as it gets absorbed by the rice

• When the rice is almost ready add salt and the cherry tomatoes

• Finish cooking until rice is soft but not mushy
• Turn off heat and let it rest for a few minutes. The broth should be entirely absorbed.