Fresh Tomato Risotto

My friend has been sharing her beautiful homegrown tomatoes. Lucky me! They are more delicious than my CSA tomatoes. ❤

I try to use them in a special way and I love that this risotto uses fresh tomatoes in two ways- cooked and sliced as a colorful garnish. My homegrown basil and parsley were the icing on the cake.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Tanis. I attempted to adapt the recipe to cook using my pressure cooker, as I usually do with risotto, but there wasn’t enough liquid for it to cook properly. Cooking this version in the traditional manner is the way to go. 🙂 By using boiling liquid, it was still a quick weeknight dish!

Yield: 4 servings

• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• coarse salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
• pinch of red-pepper flakes
• 3 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups diced ripe red tomatoes (and all juices)
• 3 to 4 cups boiling water, chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 2 to 4 medium tomatoes, in different colors, sliced
• chopped parsley, for garnish
• snipped basil, for garnish

1. Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion, and season generously with salt. Add pepper to taste, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the rice and cook the onions, stirring, until the onions are barely brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Add red-pepper flakes, garlic, white wine and diced tomatoes, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.
4. Add 2 cups boiling water or stock and adjust the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon every minute or so.
5. When the liquid is absorbed, add remaining 1 cup water or stock and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked, but the grains are still firm. (I added an additional cup of stock.)
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding another splash of water if necessary to loosen the mixture.
7. Turn off the heat, stir in the grated cheese and 2 more tablespoons olive oil. (I omitted the additional oil.)
8. Transfer to a low, wide serving bowl. Surround the rice with tomato slices and season them with salt and pepper.
9. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Pass more grated cheese at the table, as desired.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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