Add the butter to an oven-proof casserole dish and over a medium heat fry the onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes for 5 minutes until soft.
10 g butter, 1 red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 150 g cherry tomatoes
Add the rice and fry for 1 minute. Keep stirring. Add the white wine and stir until it is all absorbed.
400 g risotto rice, 150 ml white wine
Stir the tomato puree or paste into the hot vegetable stock and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add to the rice with the tinned or canned tomatoes and stir.
2 tablespoon tomato puree, 800 ml vegetable stock, 1 dash salt, 1 dash black pepper, 400 g tinned tomatoes
Bring the pan to a simmer then cover it with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat down low. Cook for 15 - 20 minutes until the rice is softened Remember to stir it every few minutes. Add a little more stock if necessary.
Stir most of the parmesan cheese, the fresh basil, and the mascarpone into the risotto. Put a lid on and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow it to go creamy.
50 g Parmesan cheese, 10 g basil leaves, 60 g mascarpone cheese
Serve with the extra parmesan sprinkled over the top.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
Red Onion - I like to use a red onion as it has a milder and sweeter taste than a brown or white onion.
Risotto Rice - Arborio is the most popular short-grain risotto rice and is sometimes simply called Risotto Rice. Another variety is Carnaroli. It has a plumper larger grain and produces a nice creamy texture.
White wine - is a traditional ingredient in a risotto. It adds flavour and acidity which helps balance out the creaminess. Use a basic dry white wine. I buy small bottles that I use for cooking. If you'd rather not use wine, you can leave it out.
Chopped Tomatoes - tinned or canned tomatoes are very handy. Always use the best quality you can afford to buy.
Vegetable Stock - I use a basic vegetable stock. You can buy low salt / sodium versions if you prefer.
Parmesan Cheese - is a traditional ingredient in risotto. It's a hard Italian cheese with a strong, nutty flavour. Buy a block and finely grate it or shred it yourself for the best flavour. Pre-grated parmesan has a blander taste and it's usually alot more expensive to buy it this way.
Basil leaves - fresh basil leaves add lovely flavour, but they are optional.
Cherry tomatoes - I like to add cherry tomatoes as they are beautifully sweet but you can skip these if you prefer.
Mascarpone Cheese - is a soft fresh creamy Italian cheese with a slightly sweet taste. Adding mascarpone cheese makes this tomato risotto extra creamy and rich.
How to cook in the oven
To oven cook your risotto, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Once the hot stock, tinned or canned tomatoes, and tomato paste have been added, give it all a quick stir and season. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in most of the parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and mascarpone cheese. Replace the lid and leave it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Storing and Reheating
A risotto is best eaten as soon as it is cooked. You can store Tomato Risotto in the fridge for 1 -2 days.To reheat risotto, add a little extra stock or hot water and stir on the hob or stove top until piping hot. To reheat it in the microwave, add the liquid, reheat, and stir. The exact amount of liquid will depend on how much risotto you are reheating. Start with a small amount of liquid as you can always add more until you get the desired consistency.A risotto unfortunately doesn't freeze well as the texture of the rice goes hard and grainy.Any leftovers from this risotto make a great lunch the next day and can be eaten cold. Make sure to store leftover risotto in the fridge as rice shouldn't be left out at room temperature for more than two hours.