Tomato Risotto
- 350g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1 tablespoon (20ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ large onion, finely chopped
- 500ml hot vegetable stock
- 20g butter
- Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated to serve (alternatively use Grana Padano)
- Basil leaves, torn in small pieces to serve
- 3 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1kg ripe Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (alternatively 800g San Marzano canned tomatoes, chopped) – see note in step 1
- 6 large basil leaves, whole plus extra to serve
- Sea salt
Requires: Food mill
To make the Italian tomato sauce, place 3 tablespoons (60ml) olive oil in a heavy-based stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is soft (approximately 5 minutes). Add the Roma tomatoes (or San Marzano canned tomatoes). Bring to the boil, then add the basil and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to your required consistency, stirring occasionally so that the sauce does not stick to the pot and burn, then remove from the heat.
Note: Roma tomatoes need to be ripe and flavorsome for this recipe. Use quality fresh Roma tomatoes only in the summer months of the year. Alternatively, use San Marzano canned tomatoes.
Prepare your food mill over a bowl. Ladle the cooked tomato sauce into the food mill and stir to collect the lovely tomato pulp and juice in the bowl. Discard the tomato skins and seeds that are left in the food mill.
To make the tomato risotto, heat 1 tablespoon (20ml) olive oil in a large, deep frying pan (or stockpot) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened (approximately 3 minutes). Stir in the rice and after 2 minutes, pour in one ladleful of the hot vegetable stock and one ladleful of the Italian tomato sauce, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until all the liquid has been absorbed. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful of the vegetable stock and tomato sauce. Continue to add ladlefuls of stock and Italian tomato sauce, stirring and allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next until the rice is ‘al dente’ (approximately 15 minutes).
Remove the frying pan (or stockpot) from the heat. Stir in the butter. Top your Tomato Risotto with Parmigiano Reggiano and freshly torn basil leaves before serving – buon appetito.
