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
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