Tomato risotto recipe
This risotto goes against the grain: it's baked in the oven rather than cooked on the hob, and conveniently only needs to be stirred once. Topped with a spoonful of the aromatic winter herb pesto and a feather-light Parmesan crisp, it's comfort food at its most perfect.
Ingredients
- 40 g Halved walnuts
- 4 tbsp Grated parmesan cheese, plus extra, shaved
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 30 g Butter
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 300 g Risotto rice
- 185 ml Dry red wine
- 500 ml Hot vegetable stock
- 500 ml Passata
- 1 tsp Sun-dried tomato paste
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
- 15 g Mixed herbs, including sage, rosemary and thyme
- 1 Garlic clove
- 6 tbsp Olive oil
- 4 tbsp Grated parmesan cheese
Details
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Recipe Type: Main
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 10 mins
- Cooking Time: 65 mins
- Serves: 4
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then finely chop half of the walnuts and set the rest aside
- To make the Parmesan crisps, line the baking sheet with baking paper. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan into a mound on the baking sheet, then sprinkle one-quarter of the chopped walnuts over it. Tidy the edges slightly to make a circle about 4cm/11/2in in diameter, then repeat to make 3 more circles, spacing them out by at least 5cm/2in as they tend to spread during cooking. Bake for 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Leave to cool for a few minutes before lifting them off the baking sheet with a palette knife and set aside
- Heat the olive oil and half of the butter in a large, ovenproof saucepan. Fry the onions, partially covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic and risotto rice and cook, stirring, for another 3 minutes until the rice is glossy and coated in the oil. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed by the rice. Add the stock, passata and sun-dried tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined
- Cover the risotto with a tight-fitting, ovenproof lid and bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from the oven, stir in the remaining butter and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Put the remaining walnuts in a food processor and add the herbs and garlic. Process until coarsely chopped, then add the olive oil and process again to make a coarse paste. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, then season with salt and pepper
- Stir the risotto and divide it into 4 large, shallow bowls. Top with a good spoonful of the pesto and the shaved Parmesan and serve with the Parmesan crisps
Also worth your attention:
More recipes from Nicola Graimes
Nicola's book: New Vegetarian Kitchen
Paul Merrett's pumpkin risotto
Tiffany Goodall's asparagus and pea risotto