Meatless Friday: Baked Risotto with Clams

I love risotto, but I was always too intimidated by all that high-maintenance stirring to try it myself. Then I discovered that you can bake risotto rather than cooking it on the stove top and have it on the table in about 30 minutes. So give this a try--no excuses! It's easy!

Baked Risotto with Clams

1 1/2 tbl olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/12 c chopped shallot
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 c white wine
2 1/2 c vegetable broth or fish stock
1 tsp pepper
6 oz canned clams with liquid
2 TBL butter
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (or 1 TBL dried parsley flakes)
1 tbl lemon zest

Preheat oven to 425°F. In an oven-safe large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil and cook shallot until softened. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in rice and cook 1 minute. Add wine. Cook and stir 1 minute, then add broth and pepper.

Cover and bake 15 minutes. Stir in clams and their liquid. Cover and bake 5 minutes more. Remove from oven. Stir in a bit of water (if needed) until risotto has a creamy texture. Stir in butter, then sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest.

This makes 4 servings (unless your 12-year-old gets his hands on the serving spoon. Then it only makes 3 servings.)

Nutrition labels are generated by Calorie Count and are offered as meal-planning assistance, not nutritional or medical advice.

You can find all our Meatless Friday featured recipes here.

Recipe and photo copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz. All rights reserved.