A yummy May risotto to share with you today. It’s made with sweet peas and garden fresh spinach. With lots of onions and Parmesan cheese this risotto is sure to make you happy 😋 .

About the recipe

I was craving risotto and trying to figure out what vegetables to add to it when I saw my beautiful bunch of spinach in the garden. I do so love spinach and they are especially yummy when they are used fresh. Enter this delicious risotto made with fresh spinach and sweet peas.

For the the flavor enhancers I used a generous amount of onion and garlic and slow cooked them until creamy. Then added a bit of thyme and garlic powder. Add in the spinach and peas and then Parmesan cheese and you get this yummy risotto perfect for a cool or warm May evening.

About the garlic powder.

I like to add garlic powder in pastas and risotto as it has a toasted garlicy flavor that is sweet and delicious. Garlic powder is actually garlic cloves that are dehydrated and then ground into a powder. Their flavor is more intense and sweet. Add it to dishes where you feel it needs just a little extra flavor boost.

Spinach and Peas Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup arborio rice
5 cups vegetable broth
1 large onion
6 cloves of garlic finely chopped
4 cups tightly packed cut up spinach or any super greens
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper
2 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
Red chili flakes
Olive oil
1 lemon

Directions:

Pre cook the arborio rice with 3 cups vegetable broth until al dente. I use the instapot and cook the rice in the rice setting.

In a saute pan warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the onions and cook until tender about 5 minutes. Next add the minced garlic and fry for a few seconds until the garlic aroma is released. To the onions add pinch of chili flakes and dried thyme. Then stir in the cooked arborio rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add the remainder 2 cups vegetable broth and stir in. Next add the fresh spinach and frozen or fresh peas. Stir into the rice and cook the veggies for 3-5 minutes.

Then add the garlic powder and parmesan cheese and stir in. Taste and adjust for salt accordingly. End with a squeeze of lemon juice from half a lemon.

Serve with drizzle of olive oil and paprika powder if you like.

Mangia!