Creamy Tomato Risotto

My creamy tomato risotto is one of my favourite easy risotto recipes. I swap vegetable stock for a tomato stock, adding soft oven roasted tomatoes and basil to the risotto once it's cooked. Some mascarpone cheese is stirred through just at the end giving the risotto a creamy texture.

I make my tomato risotto with mascarpone cheese. I like adding mascarpone cheese to risotto, it adds gives it a velvety texture, without the cheese overpowering the other flavours in the risotto.

Some people fear making risotto, believing it to be tricky. I will show you how to make risotto in a few simple steps. All you need is a little time to work the risotto. This is not a dish you can step away and leave bubbling on the stove, but the results are absolutely worth the effort.

Why you'll love this recipe

• With a few simple ingredients you can make a delicious and satisfying bowl of food that everyone will enjoy.
• Once you know how to make risotto you can use this basic recipe and add a whole variety of different flavours and ingredients.
• This recipe serves 2 as a main course, but you can easily double or triple the recipe depending on numbers and the size of your pan.

Recipe ingredients

• Fats - I like to use a combination of olive oil and butter in this recipe, the butter adds depth of flavour.
• Vegetables - I use fresh onion, celery and garlic to form the base flavours in any risotto I cook.
• Vermouth - I like to add white vermouth to risotto as it gives the dish real depth of flavour.
• Rice - when making risotto use a risotto rice as they are starchy. I like to use carnaroli if I can find it in my local store, or arborio rice.
• Stock - as this is a tomato risotto I like to use my own homemade tomato stock.
• Tomatoes - I add 6-8 of my homemade roasted tomatoes in oil to the risotto, which I chop up and stir through. You can also use store bought sundried or sunblush tomatoes in oil.
• Cheese - I add mascarpone cheese to the risotto at the end of the cook, adding some freshly grated parmesan for serving.
• Fresh herbs - I like to add freshly chopped basil to the risotto.
• Seasoning - I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make creamy tomato risotto

• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt, and saute gently for 5 minutes, taking care to soften but not colour the vegetables (the salt will help with this).
• Add the garlic to the pan and stir gently for a further minute.
• Add the rice to the pan and stir to toast the rice for a minute, stirring constantly. Do not leave the pan unattended otherwise the rice will stick.
• Now turn the heat up and pour the vermouth into the pan and stir until the wine has reduced. At the same time place the stock into a separate saucepan over a low-medium heat to keep it warm.

• Turn the heat in the frying pan down to a low-medium heat and add a ladle of stock to the rice mixture, stirring to combine. Continue to add the stock a ladle at a time, reducing the stock after each ladle.
• Do not leave the pan unattended, give the rice a stir every 30 seconds or so to stop the rice from sticking. The stirring helps to release the starches in the rice, resulting in a creamier risotto.
• Once all the stock has been added into the risotto and reduced, this should take approximately 20 minutes, the rice should be al-dente and have a nice bite to it. DO NOT over cook the rice as this will ruin the risotto.

Top Tip!

If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, just add some boiling water.

• Take the risotto off the heat and allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. Then stir in the mascarpone cheese, tomatoes and chopped basil.
• Check the risotto for seasoning, adding the salt and pepper. Garnish with extra basil and serve immediately with a grating of parmesan.

Recipe variations

•  Rice - whilst you can use pretty much any rice to make risotto, I don't recommend it. The best rice to use is a risotto rice like carnaroli or arborio rice. These particular varieties of rice are starchy, which is what you need to give your risotto that lovely creamy texture.
• Stock (broth) - I use tomato broth in this recipe, but you can substitute with a combination of 250ml vegetable stock & 200ml tomato juice)
• Tomatoes - I've use my own oven roasted tomatoes in oil, but you can use any sunblush or sundried tomato in oil.
• Vegetables - you can add other vegetables to this risotto. I sometimes add frozen garden peas with my last ladle of stock. Or try stirring through a handful of cavolo nero or spinach to wilt into the risotto at the end of the cook.
• Protein - I like serving this risotto as it is, but if you want to add some protein to the risotto, some fresh prawns or cooked chicken could be added to the risotto along with the last ladle of stock.
• Garnishes - I like to add some freshly grated parmesan for serving, and also some fresh basil leaves.

Serving suggestions

This risotto will serve 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter. Risotto is a hearty bowl of food, so I usually serve it as it is, with a dressed green salad or tomato salad. You could add some garlic bread or toasted crusty bread for hungrier diners.

If you love vegetable based risotto recipes, try my Easy Spring Vegetable Risotto.

Useful hints and tips

• Do not wash risotto rice, you want to leave the starch on the risotto as that's what gives risotto is creamy texture. Wash the rice and your risotto will be too watery.
• Do not walk away from the pan when making risotto. Not only do you risk the rice sticking, you also need to stir the rice regularly, every 30 seconds or so, to get the rice to release it's starches. It is the starch in the rice that give risotto its creamy, velvety texture.
• Seasoning: Take time to taste and properly season the risotto before serving. Proper seasoning with salt and black pepper will make a big difference to the finished dish.
  • Vegetarian: mascarpone is suitable for vegetarian diners, however you will need to swap regular parmesan cheese for vegetarian parmesan cheese.
  • Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you love tomatoes, try these great tomato based recipes:

• Fresh Tomato Gazpacho
• Tomato & Basil Soup
• Tomato & Vegetable Soup with Harissa
• Simple Tomato Soup
• Tomato & Basil Bruschetta with Whipped Creme Fraiche
• Tomato Bruschetta with Tarragon
• Easy Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce

This easy tomato risotto recipe features regularly on my weekly dinner plans. For other easy family dining ideas have a read of my Easy Family Dinners post which is full of recipes, hints and easy tips for feeding the family.