
This is an elegant dish, perfect for a special occasion. Sea scallops were on sale, so that's special enough for me! You can easily double this recipe.
Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach and Parmesan Risotto
Parmesan Risotto
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3 • Size: 3/4 cup • Time: 30 minutes • Calories: 309 • Points: 6.5 pts
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups fat free chicken stock
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
In a medium size heavy sauce pan, add butter on medium-low heat. Add shallots, sauté about 1 minute. Add rice mixing well until well coated and transluscent, about 2 minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper and mix well until it is absorbed into the rice. Ladle 1 cup stock into rice and mix until all stock is absorbed, add another ladle, and continue adding and stirring until all broth is absorbed, about 20-25 minutes. Add parmesan cheese and parsley, mix well and serve.
Seared Scallops over Wilted Spinach
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 3 • Size: 5 oz • Time: 10 minutes • Calories: 172 • Points: 3.5 pts
- 16 oz (about 12-14) sea scallops
- salt and fresh pepper
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 10 oz baby spinach, washed
Add olive oil to the pan and sauté shallots, add spinach, salt and pepper. Toss until spinach wilts.
Serve over spinach over risotto topped with scallops.


















wow that is awesome looking! it's popping out at me.. i almost want to take a bite! thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOh Gina - this looks delish and could be just the right dish to serve up to my man for a special meal.. well done and I love the photo.
ReplyDeleteLooks Lovely!
ReplyDeleteYou have a very nice blog...photo's you could dive into!
Pam
www.alovefornewrecipes.blogspot.com
(a gluten free blog)
Scallops are my husbands very favorite food. I'll be surprising him with this dish.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Looks delicious, Gina!
ReplyDeleteI love scallops, but have only made them once. I'm always afraid of over-cooking them and then I'd be so annoyed w/myself. This dish looks so good, I may have to give it a try though!
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love the crispy seared scallops over the soft, gooey, risotto! Great idea! Light on the points too :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right, food on sale is always a special ocasion!
All of that is less than 6 points! Wow, that's a great low calorie meal.
ReplyDelete@ duo, no i listed the points separate in case someone wanted to make one and not the other. total it is 8.5 pts
ReplyDeleteactually it would be 10 points... 6.5 + 3.5 = 10
DeleteYum! I love scallops and they're so low point - perfec for WW!
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious! It looks a little crowded though, perhaps two or three scallops would've been better.
ReplyDeleteWow, this recipe combines my tree favorite ingredients: Scallops (you may wake me up at night for them), Spinach, Parmesan and delicious Risotto!! You are great Gina as always! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm making this today. I think I'll try to shoot it, but I don't think it will be as pretty as your picture!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the photo Dazy!
ReplyDeleteI've been using Gina's recipes at least 2 or 3 times each week since I started WW last April. I've reached my goal weight now, and was awarded my lifetime membership last week. I give a lot of credit to Gina's creative and inspiring foods that kept me from feeling deprived. I made this recipe exactly as Gina wrote it for my boyfriend this past weekend....We both thought it was the best meal either of us had enjoyed in a long time! A perfect combination of flavors and textures. Never would have guessed it was Weightwatcher friendly if I hadn't found it here. Thank you Gina, for your wonderful recipes! With great admiration, Mary Moore
ReplyDelete@ Mary, I am so flattered by your comment! Thanks so much and congratulations! What a wonderful feeling that must be!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe sounds great. I did figure out the points though using the online eTools and found that the points values were higher. Did I calculate something incorrectly?
ReplyDeleteI have the points listed separate for the scallops, and the risotto. What did you come up with, which had the discrepancy?
ReplyDeleteWOW! I can't believe how quickly you responded!
ReplyDeleteI did try the recipe (even with the potential higher points value) and would make it again in a second. This recipe was incredible.
When I added the ingredients to the online recipe builder on WW's website, the total for the scallops was 4 and the risotto was 7. Does that sound too high?
I try my best to respond quickly to everyones comments. I'm going to have to do the points over and see. I could have made a mistake, but I didn't save my notes. Thanks for noticing.
ReplyDeleteOk, I redid the whole recipe. I got 6.6 points for risotto and 3.6 pts for scallops. I know Weight Watchers rounds everything off, so I'm not sure how you want to round those numbers. I now have the calories figured out for those of you counting calories.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for pointing that out, I can always count on all of you to find my mistakes!
what a wonderful find these recipes are!! I'm new to weight watchers and love to cook. Thanks so much for all these great ideas. Lynne in Toronto
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Lynne
ReplyDeleteThis was the best meal I have ever made! We loved it! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis would be great for Valentine's Day!
ReplyDeleteOh my God! I just made this tonight for Valentine's Day. I can't believe how awesome it was! My husband raved about it. First time I've ever made risotto before and it turned out great! Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect dish for Valetine's Day!
ReplyDeleteWe made this tonight and loved it!! Fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteMade this last night for my husband, and he loved it! I love to cook but have never attempted risotto. This recipe was easy and relatively fast for such a tasty meal. Thanks for hard work, Gina! Your recipes are my menu for the week, and I'll be sure to put an update on each one as the week progresses.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to hearing your reviews!
ReplyDeleteGina, I'm a weight watcher and would love to make some of your wonderful recipes. I'm just having a problem printing them out. When I click "print this post" my printer spews out page after page with just your HTTP address line. I tried to copy/paste to word, and that is a mess. I don't have a computer in my kitchen or I'd just call it up there. Suggestions on how to print?
ReplyDeleteSorry you're having problems printing. If you use Firefox or upgrade Internet Explorer you should be good. I use Firefox and never have issues.
ReplyDeleteHi Gina, Just letting you know I printed successfully from firefox! Thanks! :) I'm so happy. Your recipes look amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat Julie!
ReplyDeleteExcellent Recipe!!! I just made it tonight and this will become a repeat. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteSum Thyme
I give this dish a two thumbs up! My boyfriend and I celebrated our one-year anniversary by cooking this delicious meal together. Not only was the process very simple, but our dish came out to look exactly like the photograph. All three components of the dinner were phenomenal - the parmesan risotto melts in your mouth (... we added a little extra cheese and butter!) I have since sent this recipe to many of my friends... and all of his roommates want a copy as well!
ReplyDeleteCan you recalculate this for all of us on the points plus program.
ReplyDeleteThis was SO good!
ReplyDeleteThis was awesome, Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent recipe! We substituted fiddleheads for the spinach because they are in season right now. Delicious!
ReplyDeleteOMG just made this and had to post that it was AMAZING!! Not only was it filling, but it did not taste like diet food. I made this with salmon since there were only frozen scallops at Trader Joe's. I have made numerous recipes on your blog and visit daily. I am down 10 pounds thanks to you and your recipes!! Keep them coming. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMegan
This was amazing! As a fairly new cook, this was super easy to make, delicious, and did not taste like a WW recipe. Even my dad loved it! I also made a mistake, by not heating the risotto up to high until halfway through, but it still turned out fine.
ReplyDeleteIt looked so good I even took a picture of it haha.
Hi Gina! I wanted to double the risotto recipe and was wondering if that changed the cooking time? I've never made risotto before so I just wanted to make sure. Really excited to make this one-my friends and I love making your recipes!!
ReplyDeleteThis was fantastic! Two enthusiastic thumbs up from my husband and me!
ReplyDeleteI used both spinach and kale for the greens, which was super tasty. A spritz of lemon on the greens is also a good idea.
Gina, your recipes are terrific! SO glad you are committed to this awesome blog and I'm also so glad my brother turned me on to you!
Meg in NYC
Hi Gina,
ReplyDeleteAny idea how much for the Points Plus? Usually your recipes that don't have it, have the nutritional information, but it doesn't have that. I love this recipe and am making it tonight, but have no idea how many points+.
Thanks
I just plugged everything into the Recipe Builder, and - assuming 3 servings - it says the Risotto is 9 points plus, and the Scallops are 4 points plus. Not exactly the lightest meal, but nice nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI made this twice - the first time as instructed & the second time with some bagged Milano Risotto mix (I was short on time)... It was wonderful both times - better than anything I've ever had in a restaurant. It paired really nicely with some crisp white wine.
ReplyDeleteThis was delicious! I made it for some friends last night and everyone gobbled it right up. Made exactly as instructed and will definitely use this one again since we are doing WW. Thanks! Can't wait to try some more of your recipes. Love your site!
ReplyDeleteGina, this was wonderful! Thanks for all your recipes.
ReplyDeleteMy husband made this for Valentine's Day, and it was incredible. He showed pictures to our friends, and they all want the recipe now too! Thank you so much for sharing. We have made many of your recipes, and they are all delicious and amazing!
ReplyDeleteI like this recipe and I need to try it. I've never made risotto before and I was wondering if I need to cook the arborio rice ahead of time before starting this recipe. The instructions don't really say. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Risotto is cooked sorta like Rice-A-Roni. The process described above is how you cook the rice. You should not boil the arborio rice beforehand.
DeleteYou saute dry, raw arborio rice first in oil. Then add the wine and broth in phases. The risotto bite/texture is the result of lightly browning the rice first and then cooking the liquid down in phases.
Awesome recipe...although I don't think I made the skinny version! I added asparagus to the risotto and garlic when I was cooking the shallots. Great flavor, I will definitely be making this again!!
ReplyDeleteMaking this tonight! Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteGina, Found this recipe on Pinterest. Made tonight after a not so great day. Brightened my spirits and tasted great! My husband loved it too. In fact, he is doing the dishes as a thank you!
ReplyDeleteStacyfrPgh
Best scallops I ever made - before searing on each side dip top and bottom in mashed potato flakes YUMMY
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make this! But, I never know what type of wine to use =\\. Suggestions?
ReplyDeleteThere are two schools of thought on this:
Delete1. Don't cook with anything you wouldn't drink. In which case, Chablis and Chardonnay are probably adequate. Bonus points for getting to drink what you don't use in the recipe.
2. Don't waste the good stuff on cooking (I tend to err this direction). In which case, we used "Cooking white wine" in a little glass bottle. It did not smell like it tasted great, but it was perfect in the recipe.
a great recipe! just made it last night, used a little extra butter in the risotto... so good. also, I used chardonnay (asked my boyfriend to grab white wine at the store and that was what he brought home...) and it worked out perfectly. instead of using spinach, i made a side arugula salad with fig. felt like i was dining at my favorite restaurant. thank you skinny taste!
ReplyDeleteIt's absolutely delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent recipe. Found it on Pinterest. Followed the directions. Blogged my results. It's like bringing a little bit of the beach home.
ReplyDeleteOut of curiosity, what kind of pan are you searing in? We used cast iron for the scallops (and for wilting the spinach) and the scallops were cooked properly, but with a significantly darker sear. Are you using hard anodized? Stainless?
Made this over the weekend, it was amazing!! like nothing I've ever had. The risotto was to die for!
ReplyDeleteThis was the best meal we've had in a while. Thanks for posting!!
ReplyDeleteLeslie Lancaster
www.facebook.com/thehotmombod
My husband said this could be served in a high-end restaurant! Nothing short of fabulous!!
ReplyDeleteThis was delicious! Definitely make this again.
ReplyDeleteThis was a hit tonight! I got way more risotto though, probably 5 - 3/4c servings. Still delish.
ReplyDelete