Baked Spinach Rice
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1pound spinach (about 2 bunches), washed
- 1½cups long-grain white rice, such as Carolina or jasmine
- Salt and pepper
- 2tablespoons butter, plus more to butter the baking dish
- 1cup grated Parmesan
- ½cup slivered almonds
- 1cup ricotta
- 1cup grated Gruyère or other Swiss cheese
- ¼cup currants
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1teaspoon chopped sage
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
380 calories; 26 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 656 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.
Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add spinach and wilt for 30 seconds. Remove with a wire mesh spider or tongs and rinse in a colander with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly.
- Step 2
In the same pot, boil the rice for 10 minutes, keeping it slightly underdone. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish (or other baking dish) and dust with about 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan.
- Step 4
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and add contents of skillet to rice.
- Step 5
Add remaining Parmesan to rice, along with the ricotta, Gruyère, currants, nutmeg, lemon zest, thyme and sage. Season lightly with salt and add pepper to taste. Add chopped spinach and gently toss rice with hands or wooden spoons to distribute ingredients evenly. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. (May be prepared up to this point several hours in advance of baking.)
- Step 6
Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until top is browned.
Private Notes
Comments
I make a version of this dish with my rice cooker. Cook any amount of rice. When the rice cooker turns off, fill it to the top with fresh spinach. Let the heat of the rice cook the spinach, 5-10 minutes. Put the rice and spinach in a bowl and add olive oil to taste. Using a sharp knife, cut up the spinach, mixing it into the rice. Then add parmesan cheese and pine nuts or other crushed nuts. You can also add some kind of dried fruit. It's delicious and almost no work!
The rice should be boiled in a large pot with lots of water, like boiling pasta, then drained. (And, in case it is not clear, combining the par-cooked rice with the chopped spinach provides enough moisture so no additional water is needed during baking.)
Forego boiling the rice. Instead,sauté the rice and almonds ( I omit the almonds) till the rice smells nutty but is not browned. Add 3 cups water and bake at 350 for 17 minutes it until water is absorbed. Let the rice rest 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then proceed with recipe at step 5 ( adding remaining ingredients). Can be prepared ahead, as author notes.
A note re cooks' who were concerned about the amount of cheese in this, it really isn't that much per serving. Consider that for 6 servings: 1 C ricotta is shy of 3T per person, so about 1.5oz. 1C parmesan grated is about 3 oz so 1/2oz per person. 1C gruyere grated is maybe 4oz for a little over 1oz per person. Total cheese per serving is about 1.75oz hard cheese + 1.5oz ricotta. Not that much. A delicious dish for company's coming or regular audience meal.
Omitted the ricotta and cut the shredded cheese by half. I fried and mixed in some tomatoes as well and added chili flakes and more lemon juice for some added flavor. Very pleasant!
This sounds so good. A few substitutions I am wondering about: Spinach is a gout trigger for my husband. Can you use chard leaves (ribs removed) or baby kale in place of tne spinach? Also: What's the best substitute for currants? I have never seen them sold in Los Angeles.
Advertisement