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    Home > Meal Type > Sides

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil

    Updated: Jul 8th 2019 โ€ข Published: Oct 12th 2014 โ€ข 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved!

    Some days I sit at the laptop and words just come. Sometimes I have a clear idea of what I want to say and how it links to the food and recipe. Sometimes I have no real idea where the words will take me. It is like I am sat chatting with a friend, the conversation twists and turns and after an hour you look up and think how did we get onto the subject of Moroccan bath tiles. (Oh yes I have odd and interesting conversations with my friends ๐Ÿ˜‰ )

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.

    Some days like yesterday I sit and I can't think of anything to say, well nothing that I think anyone would want to read, that is quite hard to handle. Your brain is goading you "I am boring, my stories are boring, why would anyone be interested in what I have to say?" I don't want to use the term writers block as I don't presume to be a writer. I am a waffler, I write as I talk.

    Many many (many) years ago, I did my Duke of Edinburgh Award. At the end of the expedition each member of the group had to do a presentation on one aspect of the four days. Unsurprisingly I chose 'camp cooking'. I was 17, so I did what most 17 year old girls do when faced with a speech, I wrote the whole thing out. There were no flash cards or prompts, this was an essay that I planned to read verbatim to the school. The teacher in me is now crying, back then the security of a script was what I needed to get over my fear and stand up and talk, now after years in the classroom it is the thought of trying to do a presentation with a fully written out scrip that fills me with dread. My old pupils would testify to the scatty and slightly random nature of my lessons. We always got the work done and the information made it from my head to their head, but it wasn't a textbook classroom.

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.

    Like I said I am a waffler, I like to twist and turn when I talk (with my words you understand....I don't do the jive when I talk!;-) ) So whilst now I wouldn't want a script, some things haven't changed because back then I also wrote as I spoke, something I hadn't realised until that presentation.

    The presentations were marked and I got great feed back, Mr O'Hara said it was "an engaging, personal presentation that felt spontaneous, yet informative", then he saw my essay and laughed. He told me "you write as though you are having a conversation with the page. This reads as though someone has documented you talking on the phone to a friend".

    I hope the same can still be said. As I like to waffle, I like to chat and some days like yesterday when I really have nothing to say, then I hope I can just close the computer and say nothing. Better to leave a day unblogged than to force some words onto the page.

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.

    Today I wasn't sure I had much to say, but I tapped away and now I have filled a couple of minutes of your day with my random musings.

    Random musing from a 17 year old who spoke about cooking dried noodles on a camp stove, of a 28 year old teacher who got every student out of their seat and made them run about to explain changes of state, of a 35 year old blogger who is sat with a cup of coffee wondering whether cold left overs of yesterdays pasta dinner, is an acceptable morning tea or will it just make me seem like a bit of a piggy? I think I know the answer ๐Ÿ˜‰ But once you have tried this risoni recipe you might understand my dilemma.

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.

    I hope you enjoy the random musings, as I have plenty more conversations to have with you. One day I will explain how we got onto the Moroccan tiles....just got to figure that out myself first! Aren't you glad you stopped by ๐Ÿ˜‰

    For more delicious pasta recipes try these:

    • Garlic Butter Pasta with Garlic Chicken (for garlic LOVERS)
    • Shrimp Chorizo Pasta
    • Creamy Rosemary Chicken Pasta
    • Roasted Cauliflower Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce
    • Pasta with Roasted Fennel
    • Pork Stroganoff with Buttered Noodles
    • Creamy Saffron and Shrimp Pasta
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    • Black Truffle Pasta
    • Get ALL PASTA RECIPES

    Print Recipe
    3.70 from 13 votes

    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil

    A great Risoni (orzo) recipe. Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.
    Servings: 4
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoon butter
    • 1 cup risoni pasta (also called Orzo pasta)
    • 500 ml chicken stock
    • 2 cubes of frozen spinach (remove from the freezer when you start cooking the pasta)
    • ยฝ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 4 tablespoon chopped basil
    • Black pepper - to taste

    Instructions

    • Place the butter into a small saucepan and melt over a low heat.
    • Stir in the risoni and stir until it is coated with the butter.
    • Add the chicken stock, cover the pan and reduce the heat.
    • Cook on the lowest simmer for 10 minutes.
    • After 10 minutes remove the lid and give the pasta a stir.
    • Add the spinach and stir gently.
    • Keep gently string until the spinach has defrosted and the liquid is almost gone.
    • Stir in the Parmesan, basil, and season with pepper.
    • Continue stirring until the Parmesan has melted.
    • Serve with an extra grinding of black pepper and a generous grating of parmesan.
    • I served ours with some char-grilled herb mustard chicken.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts
    Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil. A comforting easy supper that is great on it's own or as a tasty side dish.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mel says

      August 02, 2021 at 10:11 am

      looking in my pantry for hat to cook for dinner, lots of risen, so a quick search and I found this recipe, guess thats hat we are having for dinner as I also just picked a container of spinach yesterday evening! Thank you for helping with todays inevitable question. What's for dinner mum?

      Reply
    2. Kim Lawrence says

      March 01, 2021 at 9:31 am

      4 stars
      This was so delicious! I was making it for my 9 month old baby! But I'm having some for lunch.. I will give her some for dinner....if there is any left!! Haha ๐Ÿ˜œ

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        March 13, 2021 at 5:45 pm

        Oh this makes me simple so much ๐Ÿ™‚
        So pleased you enjoyed it! I hope your baby did too!
        Cx

        Reply
    3. Monica says

      December 22, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      How much would two cubes of spinach be in cups?
      Cheers
      Monica

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        December 24, 2019 at 11:25 am

        If you are using fresh spinach then it will be around 1 tightly packed cup.
        hope that helps ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
      • Michael says

        March 16, 2022 at 11:22 am

        You're talking about frozen spinach, so how much would 2 cubes of frozen spinach be?

        Reply
        • Claire McEwen says

          May 26, 2022 at 1:58 pm

          Hi Micheal,
          I am going to make this again (for better photos) and I will measure the spinach both ways to see.
          Sorry I can't update you straight away.
          Cx

          Reply
    4. Digglefree says

      June 14, 2019 at 9:17 pm

      3 stars
      Excellent recipe, however I found the basil to be rather over powering and could be reduced to Atleast half the stated amount.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        June 18, 2019 at 9:11 am

        Thank you for the feedback ๐Ÿ˜€

        Reply
    5. Hearty K says

      March 04, 2019 at 6:21 pm

      Thanks for this! Tried it for my husband and I as per this recipe, and once again without the stock for my toddler who loved it. I love the flavor the butter gave but was curious- do you coat your pasta in butter in your recipes for a richer flavor?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        March 09, 2019 at 8:45 am

        Oh I am so happy you enjoyed it, and great that it can be adapted to toddlers too ๐Ÿ˜€
        Yes, I like to coat the pasta in butter (much like you do rice in risotto) because I think it adds so much to the pasta.
        I am all about the butter ๐Ÿ˜‰

        Reply

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