Creamy Cherry Tomato Risotto
A creamy and delicious risotto with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic, and fresh parmigiana. It has a little hint of spice with a dash of crushed red pepper and is the perfect dish to add to your cutlets or pork chops!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 256kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 small pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup white wine
- 3.5 cups chicken broth
- 1.5 cups water
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup parmesan, grated
- 1 handful basil, chopped
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine water and chicken broth on medium low heat. We'll warm up the liquid to make it quicker for the arborio rice to absorb.
- Bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and arborio rice. Let the tomato paste sit in the pan and caramelize while you stir the rice for 2 minutes. You should start to see a little white dot in the risotto after a minute or so.
- Add in the halved cherry tomatoes and salt and combine well with the rice for 1 minute. Then add the white wine. Combine with the rice, stirring occasionally until all of the wine is absorbed.
- Once the wine is absorbed, transfer 1 cup of liquid, or a ladleful, from your small pot to the pan at a time. Stir well with the rice and simmer until completely absorbed before adding more. Stir the rice often, otherwise, it will stick to the pan.
- Continue this process for about 18-20 minutes. Most of your liquid should be absorbed by now. Taste the rice at this step. It should be al dente, soft but with a little snap, not crunchy. Add another ladleful of liquid if it still has a crunch.
- Once you reach the desired texture, remove the pan from the heat. The rice will be al dente and the sauce should still be runny. It will be more runny than you think it should be. You should be able to toss the rice with the pan if the sauce is the right consistency (see pictures above).
- Add the parmesan, black pepper, and basil and toss the risotto, or stir, until well combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Warming the chicken broth isn’t essential, but it helps the rice absorb liquid faster.
- Toasting the rice in olive oil enhances its flavor; you’ll notice a small white dot in the center after a minute or two. That's when you should add the cherry tomatoes and wine.
- As the liquid is absorbed throughout the process, the rice is more likely to stick, so just make sure you keep stirring.
- The risotto should be looser than expected when finished—it will thicken as it sits. It should spread slightly when plated.
- Keep the heat low. You can always increase it, but starting with a higher heat risks burning the rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1243mg | Potassium: 211mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 449IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 2mg
