Baked Spinach Rice
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 1pound spinach (about 2 bunches), washed
- 1½cups long-grain white rice, such as Carolina or jasmine
- Salt and pepper
- 2tablespoons butter, plus more to butter the baking dish
- 1cup grated Parmesan
- ½cup slivered almonds
- 1cup ricotta
- 1cup grated Gruyère or other Swiss cheese
- ¼cup currants
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1teaspoon chopped sage
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
380 calories; 26 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 656 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add spinach and wilt for 30 seconds. Remove with a wire mesh spider or tongs and rinse in a colander with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop roughly.
- Step 2
In the same pot, boil the rice for 10 minutes, keeping it slightly underdone. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 3
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish (or other baking dish) and dust with about 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan.
- Step 4
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and cook, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Season lightly with salt and add contents of skillet to rice.
- Step 5
Add remaining Parmesan to rice, along with the ricotta, Gruyère, currants, nutmeg, lemon zest, thyme and sage. Season lightly with salt and add pepper to taste. Add chopped spinach and gently toss rice with hands or wooden spoons to distribute ingredients evenly. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. (May be prepared up to this point several hours in advance of baking.)
- Step 6
Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until top is browned.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Celia
I make a version of this dish with my rice cooker. Cook any amount of rice. When the rice cooker turns off, fill it to the top with fresh spinach. Let the heat of the rice cook the spinach, 5-10 minutes. Put the rice and spinach in a bowl and add olive oil to taste. Using a sharp knife, cut up the spinach, mixing it into the rice. Then add parmesan cheese and pine nuts or other crushed nuts. You can also add some kind of dried fruit. It's delicious and almost no work!
David Tanis
The rice should be boiled in a large pot with lots of water, like boiling pasta, then drained. (And, in case it is not clear, combining the par-cooked rice with the chopped spinach provides enough moisture so no additional water is needed during baking.)
Jackson
Forego boiling the rice. Instead,sauté the rice and almonds ( I omit the almonds) till the rice smells nutty but is not browned. Add 3 cups water and bake at 350 for 17 minutes it until water is absorbed. Let the rice rest 10 minutes without removing the lid. Then proceed with recipe at step 5 ( adding remaining ingredients). Can be prepared ahead, as author notes.
c
how much water for the rice?
I understand - boiling spinach, save the water, add rice.
how much water?
My usual ratio would be 2:1, is this ok in this recipe?
sgrant
Would you parboil brown rice for 30 minutes? It would be nice if all the rice recipes included instructions for brown as well as white rice.
Kathy B
You should throw out the cooking liquid from spinach because it is concentrated with oxalic acid, which is a poison- Mature spinach contains oxalic acid, but baby spinach does not- (Not necessary to cook it-) Mature spinach might be better in this recipe- I also don't like to parboil rice and discard the water, because the vitamins in the rice are gone! I would cook it in half the normal amount of water, just until it absorbs it, and then proceed with the recipe- I will make it!!
denardo
This was very good. I used an egg and a little sour cream in addition to the ricotta, it just didn't seem like enough liquid to me. I also steamed rather than boiled the spinach and cooked the rice the normal way but I used less water and didn't cook it through. I would use less cheese next time, it doesn't need a full cup of Parmesan and a full cup of Gruyere. Next time I would use a 1/2 c of each.
two cents plane
I enjoyed this article - thank you. It would be interesting to see the original recipe.
3 cups of cheese for one pound of spinach?
I cannot imagine why we would want to continue to over saturate ourselves with this kind of recipe. I am sure it would be delicious with less cheese and you might be able to taste the spinach. Imagine that.
Sarah
All credit to David and his mother for this, it’s delicious recipe. However, 3 cups of cheese is a little rich for me, so I used 1 cup of Parmesan and 1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt instead of the ricotta and the gruyere. Because of this, I also wasn’t overly concerned with squeezing the moisture out of the spinach or drying the rice out on a sheet pan. It came out beautifully and still was extremely flavorful.
Kate
Maybe pine nuts?
Gayla
This was so good! Did not make any changes and my husband and I both loved it. We ate it as a vegetarian entree with a green salad. I've never cooked rice by boiling it in a large amount of water but will from now on. It was perfectly cooked.
Lizzy m
Delicious. I used Jasmine rice and followed the receipe exactly except I used pine nuts and golden raisin. I didn't have almonds or currents.
Elizabeth
This sounds so good. A few substitutions I am wondering about: Spinach is a gout trigger for my husband. Can you use chard leaves (ribs removed) or baby kale in place of tne spinach? Also: What's the best substitute for currants? I have never seen them sold in Los Angeles.
Linda PA
I did not like the lemon zest flavor. Followed exactly. The texture was good and so I think I may try other flavor profiles in this dish
lou
Three cups of cheese!? Invite a cardiologist for dinner.
bluerroses
The rice-cooking method I learned in the Middle East is: rinse long grain rice, soak for 5 minutes. Half fill a pot with water, bring to boil, add rice and cook till nearly done. Pour through a sieve and return rice to the pot. Wrap the lid of the pot with a clean, cotton dish towel, then tightly cover the pot of rice. Set over a very low flame for 2 minutes, then turn off. Leave covered pot on burner for 5-10 minutes. Moisture will be drawn out of the rice--perfection.
Samone
I made this on the stovetop for one of my vegan clients and used Basmati Rice. I cooked the spinach with 3 cloves of garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, a pinch of oregano, salt, nutmeg, and pepper, and the basmati rice. Once the rice and spinach were cooked I folded in 1/2 cup vegan parmesan (I LOVE Violife) Mykos garlic and chive vegan cheese. It came out delish!!! I also used the almonds I am not vegan but as a personal chef, I have a few.
Danny D.
I have a similar Mom story with a spinach rice casserole and company/guest food. I was a bit underwhelmed with this recipe. The flavor profile was weak. Next time I will double the herbs and add more lemon zest. Perhaps add some chopped onion or shallot.
Sheila Pulver
The combination of cheese, herbs, and nutmeg add complexity to this satisfying dish. I didn't have currents or almonds so I sauteed chopped onions and mushrooms to add to the spinach. As much as I love ricotta, I eliminated it and the Parmesan as the Gruyere seemed plenty rich.
Amanda L
Try with Farro! It was out of this world!
bluerroses
Excellent, with subtle flavors. It took more time than I expected to prepare. I added leftover cooked pork, and basil instead of thyme--what I had on hand. Nice!
julia
Really enjoyed this rice as a side for dinner. I only used a couple spoonfuls of ricotta and some sprinkled parm and that was enough for us. The ricotta and spinach gave some nice moisture when baked. I would recommend fresh thyme and sage. I used dried spices and it lacked a bit of flavor.
Nancy B
To cut down on calories, I used cottage cheese with some thick Greek Yogurt. I also used low fat cheese.. it still came out great. Next time I will honk I will add mushrooms.
Shari
Steamed slightly increased amount of baby spinach to keep the vitamins. Brown rice par-boiled 12 min. Dried apricot, onion, red pepper flakes, thyme, pine nuts and chopped shitakes and almonds sauteed in ghee (what's in the refrigerator), then add par cooked rice, lemon zest, nutmeg. Add decreased amounts of all 3 cheeses and a beaten medium egg. Dusting soufflé dish w/ parmesan = brilliant.
megan
I added a bunch of other roasted veg and used Greek yogurt instead of ricotta. Yum!!
MH
Mmmm. So good! Soft, pillowy spinachy deliciousness, with a very delicate harmony of flavors. I used golden raisins instead of currants, and next time will use even more, since the sweetness is divine. Also, I chopped up whole almonds because I couldn't find slivers. Both hacks worked well.
Gman
Had to add a 3/4 cup of beef bouillon for moisture as the rice was too dry after the 40 minute bake. I guess I pressed too much water out of the spinach. Disappointed with the overall dish as, somehow, the flavor of the ingredients were lost. Maybe, hopefully, it will wake up the day after and improve overnight... Looks pretty on the plate though.
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