Spinach Risotto W/ Vermecelli and Smoked Gouda

This is what I call a seat-of-my-pants kind of side dish. I've been slacking in the creativity department lately so I decided to raid the fridge, pantry and freezer to see what I could throw together. I found some rice along with a 1/4 box of vermecelli in the pantry, frozen spinach in the freezer, a 1/2 block of smoked gouda and 1/2 bottle of sauvignon blanc in the fridge. Risotto was screaming at me in my mind. So that is what I made. Normally, a risotto doesn't have vermecelli, but this one did. The spinach gave it a great earthy flavor. The smoked gouda, well what can I say...It made it smoky and cheesy, lol!

Spinach Risotto with Vermecelli and Smoked Gouda

1/4 cup onion diced small

2 garlic cloves minced

1 1/2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

1 cup white rice (I didn't have arborio so I used medium grain)

1/4 cup of vermecilli noodles broken into small pieces

1/4 cup good white wine (I used sauvignon Blanc)

3 1/2 cups chicken broth warmed

1/2 cup frozen spinach

1/2 cup smoked gouda

pinch salt

1 tsp. fresh black pepper

Heat oil over medium low heat in a medium sized skillet. Add onions and saute until browned and almost carmelized. Add rice, vermecelli, and garlic. Let mixture toast stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, about 3-5 minutes. Add white wine and let simmer until it is almost reduced completely. Add 1/2 Cup warmed chicken broth and let asorb, while stirring occasionally. Repeat until all the broth is gone. Add pepper, salt, and spinach. Let cook a couple minutes more and add gouda, stir to combine and serve.