Delicious Tomato and Pesto Risotto Recipe
This creamy tomato and pesto risotto is perfect for all year round. It’s cheap to make as you use whatever tomatoes are in season. This risotto is made without white wine so it’s even cheaper and more accessible to make at home.
What ingredients do I need?
Tomatoes- Whatever tomatoes are in season (making them cheaper) use them! Summer is always fantastic for tomatoes with the different varieties you get.
Arborio Rice- This is risotto rice. Don’t forget to toast it in the flavours before adding a little stock at a time. You don’t want to drown it so add a bit at a time.
Pesto- This is a home made pesto using sunflower seeds, basil and olive oil. Sunflower seeds give the most delicious flavour when toasted, so don’t forget that step. Tomato and pesto risotto is such a classic flavour combination, give it a try.
Cooking Tips:
No wine? This recipe doesn’t need white wine, instead a rice wine vinegar to give the acidity. Of course you can add 150ml of white wine to this recipe if you have some kicking about. I wanted to make this recipe without just in case you don’t have that ingredient.
Don’t drown the rice- Arborio loves to be fed a little stock at a time. Wait until it’s absorbed the ladle full of liquid before adding any more.
Don’t miss out the pesto- This tomato and pesto risotto works perfectly when you have the acidity and sweetness from the tomatoes, along with the creamy nutty pesto. You can use shop bought pesto if preferred.
For the pesto- It helps to add either a vegan parmesan or my favourite – nutritional yeast.
If you like this recipe why not try
Creamy Pea Risotto
Asparagus and Shiitake Risotto
Pumpkin and Leek Risotto
Tomato and Pesto Risotto
Ingredients
- 500 g vine tomatoes
- 280 g arborio rice
- 3 large cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 900 ml stock
- Salt and pepper
the pesto
- 4 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
- Handful fresh basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 lemon squeezed optional
Instructions
- Start by adding the tomatoes to a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil, sear on a medium heat for a few minutes before adding the shallots and chopped garlic, fry until the garlic has cooked
- Pour in the vinegar, followed by the risotto rice and dried herbs and toast with the tomatoes and garlic for a minute before slowly adding in the stock (I just use boiling water and a dissolved stock cube) make sure the rice has absorbed the ladle full of stock before adding in the next
- Once all the stock has absorbed, season generously with salt and pepper, taste test adding more if needed. Make the pesto by blending the ingredients together or using a pestle and mortar then stir into the tomato risotto and enjoy!
