Ruffles & Truffles

02
Dec
2012

Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto for #SundaySupper

categories: Recipes

This week’s Sunday Supper theme is all about your favorite celebrity chef. It didn’t take me long to decide who to select: Fabio Viviani. Ever since his first appearance on Top Chef, he’s been my favorite cheftestant. Italian food: yes, please! Cooking Italian food at home is one of my favorite types of cuisine to prepare: Fabio has a collection of recipes that are definitely drool worthy. And when it comes to social media, he’s really on top of things and interactive with his fans. Can you beat that? I think not. The Italian accent doesn’t hurt either.

I have a confession to make: until this week, I had never made risotto at home in my kitchen. I know: who am I? To be honest, I was a bit intimidated. The process isn’t a quick one, and the prospect of stirring risotto as it slowly cooks was never much of my cup of tea. I guess I’m lazy.

Until I made this risotto. Now I get it. I really get it.

Trust an Italian to give you a risotto recipe that is amazingly creamy, flavorful, and perfect. This spinach and artichoke risotto was glorious. I have to shamefully admit that the entire batch was consumed in record time. I needed an intervention: I could not stop eating it. Thankfully, I only made a half batch this time! I’m listing the full size recipe, but it was very simple to cut in half, and if you’re cooking for two I would suggest that quantity instead.

I’ve made risotto from boxed mixes before, and there is absolutely no comparison. I am forever changed after making this risotto – only homemade for me from now on. I’ve learned my lesson. I hereby declare that I will take an hour of my time to cook a risotto from scratch if I want it on my dinner table. And you should try it too. It actually wasn’t very difficult; I am not sure why I was so intimidated.

So – thank you Fabio, for giving me such a great recipe to create! I have a feeling that I’ll be working my way through all of his risotto recipes over time – zucchini risotto…risotto with fontina and tomatoes…prosciutto and arugula risotto…where to start, where to start…

But for now, I suggest you start with the spinach and artichoke risotto. I give it a HUGE ringing endorsement of deliciousness.

Spinach and Artichoke Risotto

*adapted from Fabio Viviani*

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, diced

1 1/3 cup arborio rice

2 qt chicken stock, hot

1 cup dry white wine

15 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

5 cups baby spinach

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

1. In a large saute pan, heat up 3 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, then saute until they soften. This process takes about 5 minutes. When the onions are softened, add the arborio rice. Toast the rice in the pan for a few minutes. The rice will become opaque.

2. When the rice is toasted/opaque, add the white wine, then simmer until the wine is almost completely absorbed.

3. After the wine is almost absorbed, begin adding the stock one ladle at a time. You should add just enough stock to cover the rice, then stir frequently until almost all of it is absorbed. Continue this process until about half of the stock is added. Then, add the chopped artichokes. Continue the process of adding the stock by the ladle until all is absorbed.

4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the fresh spinach over medium heat with a pinch of salt. The leaves will wilt in about 5 minutes. Set pan aside.

5. When the risotto has absorbed all of the stock, remove the pan from heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and grated parmesan cheese. Fold in the sauteed spinach as well. Serve warm with additional parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

 

If you’d like to see the inspiration that other celebrity chefs have given the Sunday Supper team, make sure to check out all of their recipes this week!

Starters or Snacks :

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog - Oyster and Brie Soup and Wine Pairings for Celebrity Chef #SundaySupper

Linda at The Urban Mrs. - Inspired by Bobby Flay, Lobster Chowder with Roasted Corn Salsa

Erin from Dinners, Dishes and Desserts - Rachael Ray’s Cinnamon Popcorn

Cindy over at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings - Jamie Oliver’s Bread and Tomato Soup

Jeff at The Catholic Foodie - Drop Biscuits – Breakfast with Chef John Besh

Renee over at Kudos Kitchen By Renee - Giada De Laurentiis’ Garlic Toasts With Red Pepper Aioli

 

The Main Dish:

Sheila at Cooking Underwriter – Paula Deen’s  Chicken in a Crock Pot w/ Sauerkraut and Apples

Laura over at Small Wallet Big Appetite – Martin Yan’s Beef Chow Fun

Sarah over at Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends - Michael Symon’s Lola burger with crab tater tots

Susan at The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen - Ina Garten’s Baked Shrimp Scampi

Tammi at Momma’s Meals – Lee Drummond’s Sloppy Joe’s

Lane over at Supper for a Steal - Bobby Flay’s Rosemary Bricked Chicken

Tara from Noshing with the Nolands - Michael Symon’s Pork and Apple Scallopini

Shannon at Country Girl in the Village – Simple Red Sauce over Rigatoni. Inspired by,  Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos

Kris over at In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene - Rachael Ray’s Muffin Tin Meatloaf

Nicole from The Daily Dish Recipes - Paula Deen’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pickled Pork Sandwiches

Becca from It’s Yummilicious - Ina Garten’s Grown Up Bacon Mac & Cheese

Alice at  Hip Foodie Mom - Sunday Pot Roast with Risotto Cakes from Kelsey Nixon

Jen over at  Juanita’s Cocina - The Neely’s White Turkey Chili

Brianne from Cupcakes & Kale Chips - Crockpot Beef Pot Roast with Mushrooms inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis

Isabel at Family Foodie - Polenta with Garlicky Shrimp inspired by Chef Todd English

Wendy from The Weekend Gourmet - Shrimp Penne in Pesto Cream Sauce, From Emeril Lagasse

Bobbi over at Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen - Cheesy Poblano Chicken

Patti at Comfy Cuisine - Tyler Florence’s Chicken Francese

Roxanne over at The Roxx Box - Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille

Sue from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz – Rachael Ray’s Spicy Corn Chowdah Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Jamie at Mama Mommy Mom - Penne with Asparagus, Smoked Gouda and Prosciutto. Adapted from, Giada De Laurentiis’

Tora over at Tora’s Real Food – Pork and beans with Alton Brown’s pickled pork

Elisabeth over at The Hand That Rocks The Ladle - Emeril’s New Orleans Style Red Beans & Rice

 

Amazing Sides:

Megan from I Run For Wine - Curtis Stone’s Acorn Squash Roasted with Thyme

Sandi over at Midlife Road Trip -  Gabriele Corcos’s Gnocchi di Patate

Shelby at  Diabetic Foodie - Orange Pecan Black Rice, adapted from Ina Garten

Katie from She likes Ruffles, He likes Truffles - Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto

 

Sweet Endings:

Renee over at Magnolia Days – Brownie Tart

Conni at The Foodie Army Wife - Inspired by Ree Drummond – Scrumptious Apple Coffee Cake

Paula over at Vintage Kitchen Notes - Bill Granger´s Cherry Tart

Pam from The Meltaways – Savannah Sheet Cake

Katy over at Happy Baking Days - Mary Berry’s Treacle Tart

Jaime over at Mom’s Test Kitchen - Southern Tea Cakes

Amy over at Kimchi MOM - Crack Pie, I Can’t Quit You

Lyn from The Lovely Pantry - Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Squares

Melanie at From Fast Food to Fresh Food – Sand Tarts

Wine Pairings: 

Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

 

47 Comments on Chef Fabio Viviani’s Spinach and Artichoke Risotto for #SundaySupper

  1. Renee - Kudos Kitchen
    December 2, 2012 at 7:30 am (172 days ago)

    I too am a big Fabio fan. That accent, that look, that talent in the kitchen…”swoon”.
    Your risotto looks amazing! I’m glad you got over your intimidation of it. With a guy like Fabio leading the way, looks like you’re a risotto pro now!
    Renee – Kudos Kitchen recently posted..Garlic Toasts With Red Pepper Aioli – #SundaySupperMy Profile

    Reply
    • Katie
      December 2, 2012 at 11:12 am (172 days ago)

      I seriously don’t know why I was so afraid of risotto. I figured I’d ruin it somehow, but apparently there was nothing to worry about. Not too hard…just a lot of stirring involved!

      Reply
      • Eva
        December 3, 2012 at 8:44 pm (170 days ago)

        That is soooo funny, I felt the same exact way about risotto!! I made it for the first time 2 weeks ago and used one of those boxes with the pre-packaged seasoning and realized it was not too hard to make. I too was afraid of the stirring! I am not a fan of using pre-packaged, processed foods because I like to have control over what I put into my food. I was looking for a homemade risotto recipe, came across your post and it sounds amazing!
        PS- love your blog Katie, you are a great writer! I remember when you used to whip out those papers in our sociology class like it was nothing! :)

        Reply
        • Katie
          December 4, 2012 at 7:11 am (170 days ago)

          Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Eva! So nice to hear from you. :) You definitely should try a homemade version…when you compare it to the box mix it’s like night and day! And Fabio has a bunch of different varieties of risotto on his site…if you’re looking for different ingredients to add in instead of spinach and artichokes. The mix-ins are different, but the rest of the recipe is always the same!

          Reply
  4. Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom)
    December 2, 2012 at 11:12 am (172 days ago)

    Fabio – what a guy! I’ve casually been following him on “Life After Top Chef”.

    I love a good risotto and actually make it regularly since the kids love it!

    And this is another version that I can try out! Thanks for sharing….

    Reply
  5. Renee
    December 2, 2012 at 12:05 pm (172 days ago)

    Home cooked risotto is a thousand times better than anything from a box. So creamy and so good. I enjoy a good risotto and will add this to my list of ones to make.
    Renee recently posted..Brownie Tart for #SundaySupperMy Profile

    Reply
    • Katie
      December 4, 2012 at 6:55 am (170 days ago)

      I really enjoyed that show as well! So nice to check back in with some favorites and see what they’re up to currently.

      Reply
    • Katie
      December 4, 2012 at 6:57 am (170 days ago)

      Such a good point – I can definitely see myself using what’s in my fridge to create a concoction!

      Reply
  14. Laura Hunter | Small Wallet Big Appetite
    December 3, 2012 at 6:41 am (171 days ago)

    My family is obsessed with risotto, especially the 16 month old. We also love spinach and artichoke dip so the idea that this dish has both qualities makes it a must try for me.

    Reply
    • Katie
      December 4, 2012 at 6:58 am (170 days ago)

      It was definitely like having spinach artichoke dip and risotto together in one glorious dish…so happy I tried it!

      Reply
  15. Sandi McKenna
    December 3, 2012 at 7:03 am (171 days ago)

    This risotto sounds delicious and your photographs are mouth watering!!

    Reply
  16. Sarah
    December 3, 2012 at 11:34 am (171 days ago)

    Fabio is a lady killer. He can sell me old muddy shoes for all I care. Have you been following him on life after top chef? He is busy and along I want to make him a nice meal and introduce him to nice girl. lol
    Sarah recently posted..Lola burger with crab tater tots #SundaySupperMy Profile

    Reply
    • Katie
      December 4, 2012 at 7:02 am (170 days ago)

      Hahahaha! What a true statement. And yes – I have really enjoyed watching Life After Top Chef! It’s cool to see where some favorite contestants are now…especially him and Richard (two of my favorites).

      Reply
  17. Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
    December 3, 2012 at 2:05 pm (170 days ago)

    Oh my goodness!! I love Fabio too :) I am so glad you posted this recipe, I have wanted to make a risotto and this will be the one!!
    Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen recently posted..Manic Monday Party #20My Profile

    Reply

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