Roast Tomato Risotto
I added some mozzarella to give the dish a little more weight, but it’s a really simple meal to make, and it’s just so satisfying and comforting.
PREP TIME
30
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
20
MINUTES
Ingredients
8 plum tomatoes, halved lengthways
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tbsp for the risotto and 1 tbsp to drizzle
1 small onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g risotto rice
25g tomato purée
1.2 ltr hot vegetable stock
40g butter
60g Parmesan
2 balls mozzeralla
Basil leaves
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160C fan/gas 4. Lay the tomatoes cut-side up in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp olive oil. Spoon the mixture over the cut surface of the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Roast for about 20 minutes until slightly shrunk and caramelized. Remove and set aside. Keep 8 tomato halves back to use later; blitz the rest into a purée.
3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and half the butter in heavy based saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft.
4. Stir in the rice and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in a ladleful of the stock. Stir until absorbed, then add another ladleful and continue to stir. Keep adding the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed all of it; it should be just cooked through but retain a bit of bite.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the butter and half of the Parmesan. Fold in the roasted tomato purée.
7. Spoon into warm bowls. Top each with a half ball of mozzrralla, torn off the reserved roasted tomato halves (I cut these in half again), the remaining Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and scatter over the basil leaves.
