Risotto is the king of all rice dishes. It is the marriage of “form and function”, filling and affordable, luscious and elegant. Traditional recipes call for constant stirring of rice and broth, which, when entertaining, can put a damper on your own enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, I love the lonely job of preparing a meal for others, but sometimes, spending time with your friends is more important than spending time with your kitchen. Hence, I propose the baked risotto. This recipe produces and equally creamy risotto, without the constant stirring. So that you can enjoy your friends, while your Dutch oven produces the most decadent, satisfying meal.

As a celebration of this season’s produce, I added mizuna and green peas, a beautiful pairing of bitter and sweet. Adding cumin powder to the rice while toasting helped develop a deep aromatic flavor.

Invite friends over, make this risotto, and enjoy with wine, while breathing spring air in.

Bitter Greens Baked Risotto

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 handful almonds
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• pinch salt
• ¾ cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• ¼ pound mizuna, (spinach, mustard greens, or arugula)
• parmesan to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. In a Dutch oven over medium low burner, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until fragrant. Add onions and cook until soft. Then add cumin, garlic, almonds, and Arborio rice, toast for a couple of minutes. Add white wine, and stir, until mostly evaporated. Pour vegetable broth over rice, and bring to a simmer. Cover Dutch oven, and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, add ½ cup of water, mizuna, and peas. Stir until well incorporated. Add butter, and continue to stir for another minute.  Serve with Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.