Spinach & ricotta risotto

Ingredients Risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli or vialone nano - I would recommend carnaroli), white onion, vegetable   stock, butter, basil oil, spinach   leaves, nutmeg, ricotta, black pepper, sherry.

All risottos (no matter what the ingredients) can be made in 3 simple stages. The first is called tostatura - coating the rice in fat, the second involves cooking off some alcohol (white wine, brandy or vermouth produce the best flavours) and the third involves releasing the starch from the rice one ladle of stock at a time.


1) Finely dice a white onion and saute in a pan with a little butter and 3/4 of a nutmeg, grated. 


2) Add the rice and a glug of basil oil. Stir until the rice becomes transparent, revealing a white dot in the centre and pour in a glug of sherry.


3) Stir through as the sherry cooks off and then add a ladle of vegetable stock.


4) Continue to stir through, adding stock a ladle at a time as it cooks off. Stir in 2 handfuls of spinach with the final ladle of stock, add a teaspoon of black pepper and 2 tablespoons of ricotta then stir through and serve.