Oven Risotto with Leeks, Spinach & Ricotta

Twenty minutes of chopping, then the oven does the work. No babysitting, no constant stirring—just one pot, one dish, done in 47 minutes total.

Why You’ll Love This Vegetarian Risotto with Spinach

Oven does the heavy lifting instead of you standing there stirring forever. Actually tastes better—the heat’s more even, the grains stay separate instead of getting mushy from aggressive stirring. Works with or without the sausage. Just spinach and ricotta if that’s what you want. Ricotta at the end makes it creamy without being heavy. Mascarpone works too—creamier, softer texture. Leftover risotto becomes baked patties the next day. Crispy on the outside. Worth making extra.

What You Need for Baked Risotto with Fresh Spinach and Leeks

Arborio rice. Not long-grain. The starch matters—that’s what makes it creamy. Leeks. One medium, finely chopped. White and light green parts only. The dark stuff is bitter. Parmigiano Reggiano. Grated fresh, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded has cellulose in it. Changes the texture. Ricotta or mascarpone. Ricotta’s lighter. Mascarpone’s richer. Either works. Or use both if you’re feeling it. Fresh baby spinach. Chop it first. Frozen spinach works—just squeeze it dry. Water ruins everything. Hot chicken broth. Keep it hot. Cold broth stops the cooking. Olive oil and butter. Olive oil to coat the sausages. Butter goes in three times—melting the leeks, stirring the rice, finishing the whole thing. Dry white wine. Not the cheap stuff that tastes like vinegar. Something you’d actually drink. Italian sausages, optional. Three of them. Mild, because the spinach and ricotta aren’t assertive.

How to Make Risotto with Spinach, Ricotta, and Leeks

Oven to 190C. Center rack. This matters more than it seems.

Drizzle 10 ml olive oil on the sausages. Put them in a baking dish. Set aside. Keep the rest of the oil.

Melt 30 ml butter in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Not non-stick—regular pot. Ovenproof matters. Add the leeks. Salt them lightly. This draws out the moisture so they cook faster instead of steaming themselves to mush. Stir occasionally. They should go soft and translucent but nowhere near brown. Takes 5-7 minutes. The smell gets sweet, slightly fragrant. That’s when you know.

Add the Arborio rice. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes. The grains get glossy. They sound different against the pot. This coats everything in the butter-leek base—it’s what stops the rice from becoming gluey later.

Pour in the wine. Stir and let it reduce. The wine aroma gets sharp and a little aggressive. Stop when it’s mostly evaporated. Not completely dry. Just mostly.

Add all the hot broth at once. Bring it to a boil uncovered. Season with salt and pepper now. Cover the pot tight—use foil if you don’t have a lid that fits. Tight seal matters.

Put the covered pot and the sausage dish in the oven at the same time.

How to Get Oven Risotto Crispy and Creamy

Bake for 22-25 minutes. Around the 20-minute mark, check the grain texture. Should be tender but still have a tiny bit of firmness. Not mushy. The sausages should be fully cooked—firm to touch, juices running clear.

Remove the pot carefully. It’s hot. Stir in the spinach and the Parmigiano Reggiano. Also add 20 ml of softened butter at this point. The spinach wilts immediately from the residual heat. The risotto thickens up and goes creamy all at once. It’s fast. Taste it. Add more salt, more pepper if it needs it.

If the risotto came out too firm—and sometimes it does depending on your oven—add a splash of warm broth. Stir it in. Let it rest 3 minutes. It’ll loosen up.

Slice the sausages into rounds. Scatter them on top. Dollop ricotta or mascarpone across the surface. Serve immediately. It gets worse the longer it sits.

Risotto with Spinach and Ricotta Tips and Common Mistakes

The broth has to stay hot. Cold broth seizes up the rice. Keep it in a pot on the stove if you’re paranoid.

Don’t skip the sausage-browning step even if you’re making vegetarian risotto. The olive oil flavor matters.

Spinach amount seems like a lot. It’s not. It compresses down to almost nothing once it hits the heat.

If you use frozen spinach, squeeze it dry in a colander. Then squeeze it again with your hands. Water is the enemy here.

Ricotta should be added after the pot comes out of the oven. Heating it breaks it apart. You want those soft chunks.

The sausages cook in 22-25 minutes at 190C. If your oven runs cold, they might need an extra 5 minutes. If your oven runs hot, they’re done early. Go by touch, not time.

Oven Risotto with Leeks, Spinach & Ricotta

By Emma

Prep:

20 min

Cook:

27 min

Total:

47 min

Servings:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 mild Italian sausages optional
• 15 ml olive oil
• 500 ml finely chopped leeks roughly 1 medium
• 50 ml butter softened
• 500 ml Arborio rice
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 1.2 liters hot chicken broth
• 1.5 liters fresh baby spinach chopped or 200 g frozen spinach thawed squeezed dry
• 250 ml grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 130 ml ricotta cheese OR substitute with mascarpone for creaminess
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. 1 Preheat oven to 190C place oven rack center position.
2. 2 Drizzle 10 ml olive oil over sausages set aside on baking dish. Reserve remainder of oil.
3. 3 Melt 30 ml butter in large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add leeks. Salt lightly to draw moisture. Cook stirring occasionally till softened, translucent but not browned about 5-7 mins. Smells sweet, slightly fragrant.
4. 4 Add rice stir constantly 1-2 mins to coat grains fully with butter-leek base. Rice looks glossy, sound changes slightly. Pour wine. Stir and let reduce almost dry, wine aroma sharpens; stop when mostly evaporated.
5. 5 Add hot broth all at once bring to boil uncovered. Season with salt, pepper. Cover with tight lid or foil.
6. 6 Place covered pot and sausage dish in oven. Bake about 22-25 mins. Check risotto grain texture near 20 mins – should be tender yet firm, not mushy. Sausages fully cooked, firm to touch, juices clear.
7. 7 Remove pot carefully. Stir in spinach cheese (parmigiano and butter). Spinach wilts immediately in the residual heat, risotto thickens, becomes creamy. Taste adjust salt pepper.
8. 8 Slice sausages into rounds, scatter on risotto surface. Garnish with ricotta dollops or mascarpone dollops. Serve immediately.
9. 9 If risotto too firm add splash warm broth stir and rest 3 mins.
10. 10 Leftover risotto transforms beautifully into baked patties next day.

Nutritional information

Calories

450

Protein

22g

Carbs

52g

Fat

18g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Risotto with Spinach

Can I make creamy risotto with ricotta and baby spinach without the sausage? Yeah. Just skip the sausage dish. Everything else stays the same. It’s fully vegetarian.

How do I know when the rice is actually done? Bite a grain. Should give when you bite but not fall apart. Takes some practice. Around 20 minutes usually gets there. If it’s still chalky in the middle, add a splash of broth and bake another 3 minutes.

What if I don’t have an ovenproof pot? You need one. Or transfer everything to a baking dish after the wine reduces. Either works. Ovenproof pot is easier though.

Does leftover risotto really work as baked patties? It does. Let it cool completely. Form into patties. Chill for an hour. Pan-fry in butter until the outside crisps. Inside stays creamy. Better than the original sometimes.

Can I use frozen spinach in this vegetarian risotto with spinach? Totally. 200g frozen, thawed and squeezed completely dry. Squeeze it hard. Most people don’t squeeze it enough and it waters everything down.

What’s the difference between ricotta and mascarpone here? Ricotta’s lighter, grainy, stays a bit distinct. Mascarpone melts in completely, makes it richer, denser. Both work. Try ricotta first if you haven’t decided.