Delicious and Creamy!! I’m using Three Tomatoes – Peeled Plum Tomatoes, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Fresh Sliced Cherry Tomatoes
Make a meal of this cupboard staple by using a specific type of short grain or medium grain rice. It requires constant attention to ensure a perfectly finished dish… stir, stir stir – until it reaches a creamy consistency.
We all have a little time on our hands, right? So stir up the perfect bowl of risotto today!
Risotto is a traditional Northern Italian dish, and a common way to cook rice in Italy. It’s a creamy & tender mixture made from a starchy medium-grained rice called Carnaroli or a short grain rice; Arborio.
A wonderful side dish or vegetarian main course.
I had all these ingredients in my pantry – and did find a nice bunch of basil at the market, and still had a generous hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano in the fridge.
The key to making the Best Risotto:
In a heavy pot with a little extra virgin olive oil and butter – stir onions, then add the Aborio Rice and sliced garlic, stirring constantly, until grains of rice are translucent around the edges then add wine and cook until evaporated.
Vegetable stock (you can use chicken stock too) is added, ladle by ladle until each addition is absorbed. In total – you will be stirring and cooking for 20 – 25 minutes. The final product will rice that’s firm, yet fully cooked – not mushy! And, will have a frothy feeling, not dry.
Risotto is a traditional Northern Italian dish, and a common way to cook rice in Italy. It’s a creamy & tender mixture made from a starchy short or medium-grained rice.
Arborio is the most popular short-grain rice for making risotto. It is capable of absorbing large amounts of liquid and produces a relatively creamy risotto with a hearty texture.
Carnaroli is a plumper, larger grain of rice that has a high starch content. It is preferred by many chefs as it produces a very creamy risotto with a nice bite.
Tomato Risotto adds tomatoes in a few forms
- I use the juice from the diced tomatoes adding the to the broth.
- The diced drained tomatoes are added with the rice to give them flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are chopped and added for another “tomato” layer.
- One tablespoon of tomato paste is added for color and extra flavor.
- To Finish: colorful cherry tomatoes are sliced and added just before serving, they will just warm through into the risotto and retain all of their sweet essence. Add a few tablespoons of butter in the last step if desired and of course top with parmesan Reggiano cheese.
Enjoy!
Karen