Creamy Tomato Risotto
2014-11-18- Cuisine: Italian
- Course: One Dish Meal
- Skill Level: Intermediate
- Yield : 200 gms
- Servings : 2-3
- Prep Time : 10m
- Cook Time : 30m
- Ready In : 40m
I love to make one pot meals, that get ready within 45 minutes. No wonder Risotto is one of my favourite. The BBC good food page had this lovely recipe of Creamy Tomato Risotto, and I could not stop myself from trying it.
Remember to test if your risotto is perfectly done. Start testing the rice grains when you are half way through. Take a grain and mash it between your thumb and forefinger. You will feel the hardness of the rice grain in the center. Keep checking every few minutes. If the grain mashes completely between fingers, your risotto is done.
Ingredients
- Arborio rice 200 gms
- Tomatoes chopped - 4-5 medium sized
- Vegetable stock - about 1 liter
- Butter 2 Tbsp
- Onion - one large finely chopped
- Garlic cloves 3-4 finely chopped
- Fresh Rosemary sprig -1 finely chopped
- Fresh Basil sprig - 1 roughly torn, 1 for garnish
- Cherry tomatoes -halved, 150 gms
- grated parmesan - 4-5 Tbsp
Method
Step 1
Puree the chopped tomatoes and about one cup of vegetable broth in a food processor until it is smooth. Add it to the remaining vegetable broth and keep it on low heat. The broth should remain hot while you are spooning it in the rice.
Step 2
Put a pan on the stove, add the butter. Melt it and add onions and garlic. Stir till the onions turn translucent and add the rice. Fry the rice for about a minute or so.
Step 3
Start spooning in the tomato and broth mixture about half a cup at a time. Wait till the mixture gets completely absorbed in the rice, and add more. After half the stock has been added, stir in the cherry tomatoes and rosemary. Repeat the process of adding in the remaining broth. Keep checking for doneness of rice.
Step 4
Cover and leave for 1 min, then stir in the basil. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and a good grinding of black pepper.
Step 5
After the rice is cooked and all or most of the stock is used up, stir in ground black pepper, parmesan and basil leaves. Keep it covered for 7-10 minutes and serve hot.
Step 6
I paired this risotto with some peppery sausages, but you can substitute it with any meat or any other protein dish for a balanced and complete meal.
Risotto – a popular Italian dish
Risotto is a north Italian rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetable. Many types of risotto contain butter, wine and onion. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.Risotto in Italy is normally a primo (first course), served on its own before the main course
Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy but still with some resistance or bite: al dente, and with separate grains. The traditional texture is fairly fluid, or all’onda (“wavy, or flowing in waves”). It is served on flat dishes and it should easily spread out but not have excess watery liquid around the perimeter. It must be eaten at once as it continues to cook in its own heat and can become too dry with the grains too soft. Source: Wikipedia
Creamy Tomato Risotto
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