Easy Oven Baked Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower, Spinach & Sage

This oven-baked risotto with roasted cauliflower, spinach and crispy sage is almost entirely hands-off, and the result is just as creamy and delicious as anything you’d make on the stovetop. I’ve made it a few times to get the timing exactly right, and it’s become one of my most-made weeknight dinners.

The cauliflower goes into the oven first to roast until golden at the edges. The rice cooks in a covered pot in the same oven in a good vegetable stock. While both are doing their thing, you fry sage leaves in bubbling butter until crisp. Then everything comes together at the end. The spinach stirred through the hot rice, crème fraîche and pecorino folded in, cauliflower piled on top, crispy sage scattered over.

This vegetarian recipe is loaded with two of my favourite ingredients, namely roasted cauliflower and spinach. I’ve been tossing spinach into everything lately as you can see with this spinach-stuffed cannelloni and this meatball and spinach ravioli bake.

Why bake risotto in the oven?

Traditional risotto needs near-constant stirring as you add ladle after ladle of warm stock. Oven baked risotto skips all of that. You add the stock all at once, seal the pot, and the oven does the work. The result is creamy rice with beautifully cooked grains — no stirring required. It frees you up to roast the cauliflower, fry the sage, and pour yourself a glass of wine.

Tips for the best oven baked risotto

The stock must be boiling hot when you add it to the rice. Cold or warm stock will throw off the cooking time and you’ll end up with undercooked rice. Bring it to the boil in a separate pot just before you need it.

Use a heavy-lidded oven-proof pot. A cast-iron casserole like a Le Creuset is ideal. The lid must fit snugly so no steam escapes during cooking. If your pot doesn’t have a lid, seal it tightly with two layers of foil. This recipe works perfectly in the 30cm Le Creuset shallow casserole. The wide surface area allows the cauliflower to spread out, making this dish a showstopper.

How to roast the cauliflower

Cut the head into bite-sized florets and don’t discard the stem — chop it into similar-sized pieces and roast it alongside or stir it into the rice when you add the stock. Toss the florets in olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, and spread them in a single layer on a roasting tray. They need about 30 minutes total at 180°C (350°F) to get properly golden and caramelised.

If your oven is large enough, get the cauliflower in about 10 minutes before the risotto so they finish at the same time. If not, roast the cauliflower first and set it aside.

This post on the world’s best whole roasted cauliflower is worth bookmarking, too. Roasting transforms this vegetable completely. It also works beautifully in this cauliflower cake by Yotam Ottolenghi, turned into a creamy pasta sauce, or blitzed into cauliflower couscous.

The crispy sage

Don’t skip the sage. It’s one of the best parts of this dish. Fry the leaves in two batches in butter. You want the butter bubbling actively when the leaves go in. They crisp up in about a minute (be careful not to overcook them). Drain on a paper towel and scatter over the finished risotto. Drizzle any browned, sage-infused butter left in the pan over the top, too.

Butter is the only way to fry sage. Olive oil works, but butter gives you the browning and nuttiness that makes sage shine.

What to serve alongside

This is a complete vegetarian main on its own. If you want to add something alongside, a simple green salad with a sharp lemon dressing cuts through the richness well.

FAQs

Can I make oven baked risotto without a Le Creuset?

Yes. Any heavy oven-proof pot with a tight-fitting lid will work. If your pot’s lid isn’t a great seal, cover the pot with foil first and then put the lid on top. The key is that no steam escapes during cooking.

Can I use a different cheese?

Pecorino is sharp and salty and works beautifully here. Parmesan is an easy swap and gives a slightly milder result. Use whichever you have.

Can I substitute the crème fraîche?

Full-fat sour cream works well as a direct substitute. Double cream or mascarpone will give a richer, sweeter result. Avoid low-fat options as they can split when stirred into the hot rice.

Can I freeze oven baked risotto?

Risotto doesn’t freeze well — the texture of the rice turns grainy once thawed. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat with a splash of stock or water to loosen it.

Can I make this for more people?

Yes. Scale the rice up to 400 grams and the stock to 1.3 litres for 5 people. Use a larger cauliflower and increase the crème fraîche and spinach accordingly. Cooking time should remain roughly the same — check at 15 minutes.

Creamy Oven Baked Risotto with Roasted Cauliflower and Sage Recipe

A creamy, hands-off oven baked risotto loaded with golden roasted cauliflower, wilted spinach and crispy butter-fried sage. No stirring required.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 500 to 600 grams cauliflower about 1 medium head, cut into bite-sized florets
• 6 Tbsp olive oil divided
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 large white onion finely chopped (or one small onion and two small leeks)
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves minced
• 300 grams Arborio rice
• 1 litre 4 cups good quality vegetable stock, boiling hot
• 20 grams fresh sage leaves about 1 supermarket punnet
• 60 grams approximately butter, for frying
• 150 to 200 grams baby spinach leaves about 5 cups, loosely packed
• 125 ml ½ cup crème fraîche
• 70 grams pecorino or Parmesan finely grated, plus extra to serve

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Toss the cauliflower florets in 3 Tbsp olive oil, spread on a roasting tray, and season well with salt and pepper. Place in the oven — the cauliflower needs about 30 minutes total, so get it in 10 minutes before the risotto if your oven is large enough to fit both.
• In a lidded, oven-proof pot (a cast iron casserole works best), heat the remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat on the stovetop. Fry the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and garlic and fry for a further 4 minutes, stirring, until the rice is lightly toasted.
• Pour in the boiling hot vegetable stock, stir once, and put the lid on firmly. Transfer to the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes — the rice will be al dente. At 20 minutes it will be softer. There will be some liquid remaining; this is correct.
• While the risotto cooks, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until bubbling. Fry the sage leaves in two batches until crispy, about 1 minute per batch. Drain on paper towel. Reserve the browned butter.
• Remove the risotto from the oven. Stir in the baby spinach until wilted. Add the crème fraîche and grated cheese and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Top with the roasted cauliflower and crispy sage leaves. Drizzle over any remaining browned butter and serve immediately with extra grated cheese.

Notes

Stock: Use the best quality vegetable stock you can — it’s the backbone of the dish. A good concentrated stock, dissolved in boiling water, works well.

Cauliflower stem: Don’t waste it. Finely chop the stem and stir it into the rice when you add the stock, or cut it into florets and roast it alongside the rest.

Scaling up: For 5 people, increase the rice to 400 grams and the stock to 1.3 litres. Use a larger cauliflower and increase the spinach and crème fraîche proportionally.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave with a splash of vegetable stock or water stirred through to loosen the rice. Do not freeze.

Servings: 4

Author: Sam Linsell

More risotto to enjoy:

Mushroom And Barley ‘Risotto’

Risotto Alla Milanese With Brown Butter Prawns

Pea And Asparagus Risotto With Basil And Lemon

BUY MY eBOOK COMFORT

 Find me on Instagram & Pinterest