Double Take: Super Tomato Risotto

Yes, that’s right, I made another risotto. Can you tell I like them? First the Spring Vegetable Risotto, then the Green Bean Risotto, then Risotto Primavera. I can’t get enough risotto. I thought I’d stumbled on upon the perfect one with Risotto Primavera, but Tabitha seemed interested in this Super Tomato Risotto that I’d bookmarked ages ago. And who can say no to tomatoes?

If you want to see slightly more detailed pictures on the risotto making process, do check out the Risotto Primavera post.

Super Tomato Risotto

adapted from Nick of Macheesmo
Serves for 4 as an entrée

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups arborio (or risotto or short grain) rice
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), finely chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved and roasted*
1 medium white onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2/3 cup dry white wine (like a Sauvignon Blanc)
2 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra for garnish
salt and pepper
fresh basil for garnish

*Preheat oven to 325°F.  Chop the cherry tomatoes in half and toss them with some olive oil and a sprinkle of salt (this is in addition to the olive oil in the recipe).  Roast tomatoes 1 hour, checking on them every 15 minutes or so to make sure they don’t burn. They should have some moisture in them, but they’ll be dry and wrinkled around the edges.

Directions:

1. Pour all of your stock in a large pot and bring to a simmer.  It needs to be hot when you add it to your risotto later.
2. Make sure everything is chopped (garlic, onions, tomatoes) or grated and ready to be added before you start the rest of the process. Make sure your wine is open, too.
3. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Add diced onions and garlic. Stir and cook for a minute or two.
4. Add rice and stir, cooking for 1 minute. Add sundried tomatoes and wine, and stir and cook until liquid is absorbed (30 seconds to 1 minute).
5. Over the next 30 to 45 minutes, add 1 cup of simmering broth at a time, stirring and cooking until each addition of broth has absorbed. Taste to make sure rice is the right texture; add another helping of broth if rice has too much bite to it. You may or may not use all of the stock. Check for salt content and add salt if necessary.
6. When the risotto has reached your desired consistency, remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese and the roasted tomatoes. Cover, and let sit 3 minutes.
7. Serve in bowls or plates, passing extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish.

THOUGHTS:

On the initial tasting, I wasn’t hugely impressed. I did love the flavor of the tomato, but it seemed almost bland. Perhaps we didn’t add enough salt?

However, the next day I ate the risotto cold for lunch. And it was good. Really good. The roasted tomatoes just sang on my taste buds, and I was a happy, happy girl. I think that the second tasting backs up my not enough salt in the initial dish theory because things tend to taste more salty the next day, particularly when tomatoes are involved (think marinara sauce). However, that was my fault and not the fault of the recipe, so this one is definitely going on the make again list!

VERDICT:

It’s-okay-but-I-prefer-your-Risotto-Primavera: 1 vote

Yum: 1 vote!

To see what Tabitha thought of the Super Tomato Risotto, head on over to Double the Garlic!