Fresh Tomato Risotto
For this fresh tomato risotto, a portion of the stock is replaced by the juice and pulp of ripe tomatoes. It can stand alone as a main course, but it is also a beautiful side dish for grilled fish or sausages.
By Yankee Magazine|Jun 17 2019|
Fresh Tomato Risotto
Photo Credit: Lori Pedrick • Food and Prop Styling by Liz NeilyFor this fresh tomato risotto, a portion of the stock is replaced by the juice and pulp of ripe tomatoes. It can stand alone as a main course, but it is also a beautiful side dish for grilled fish or sausages.
From “The Jewels of Summer,” July/August 2019
Yield
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
8–10 juicy red tomatoes (or 4 cups tomato puree)
4–6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ small yellow onion, finely diced
Kosher salt, to taste
2 cups Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
½ cup mascarpone cheese
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Torn basil, for garnish
Halved cherry tomatoes, for garnish
Instructions
Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomatoes into a bowl, discarding skins and cores. You should have 4 cups of tomato puree. Transfer to a large saucepan, add 4 cups chicken stock, and warm over medium heat.
In a 3- or 4-quart heavy pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the diced onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until onion is translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring, until the grains begin to turn translucent. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it’s evaporated.
Then add the tomato-broth mixture one ladleful at a time, stirring often and allowing each addition of liquid to be fully absorbed by the rice before adding more. Monitor the heat; the risotto should be bubbling faintly. Cook, stirring frequently, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 30 minutes; if you run out of liquid before the rice is tender, warm the remaining 2 cups chicken stock and add it by the ladleful. The finished risotto should have the texture of a very thick soup.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper and spoon into warmed bowls. Garnish with basil, cherry tomatoes, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately.
This was pretty tasty! I used eight cups of liquid, and that was plenty. It takes closer to 45 minutes to get the right absorption, but otherwise followed the recipe. It would have been great with some fish, although I baked chicken with basil to serve on top.