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Tomato Risotto

Tomato Risotto
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Iah Pinkney.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(5,914)
Comments
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Once you master the risotto technique, you can make flavorful versions throughout the year. This summery version is based on red, ripe tomatoes from the garden, but if you want to up the tomato quotient, surround the finished dish with slices of multicolored heirloom varieties. Best as a first course or vegetarian main course, it could also pair with a main course — grilled fish, for instance.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1large onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
  • Salt and pepper
  • cups arborio or carnaroli rice
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  • 2garlic cloves
  • ½cup white wine
  • 2cups diced ripe red tomatoes
  • 3cups boiling water or vegetable broth
  • ½cup grated pecorino or Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 4medium tomatoes, in different colors, sliced
  • Chopped parsley, for garnish
  • Snipped basil, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

345 calories; 9 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 52 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 975 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion, and season generously with salt. Add pepper to taste, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the rice and cook the onions, stirring, until the onions are barely brown, about 2 minutes. Add red-pepper flakes, garlic, white wine and diced tomatoes, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.

  3. Step 3

    Add 2 cups boiling water and adjust the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring well with a wooden spoon every minute or so.

  4. Step 4

    When the liquid is absorbed, add remaining 1 cup water and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is cooked, but the grains are still firm. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding another splash of water if necessary to loosen the mixture. Turn off the heat, stir in the pecorino and 2 more tablespoons olive oil.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer to a low, wide serving bowl. Surround the rice with tomato slices and season them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and basil. Pass more grated cheese at the table.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,914 user ratings
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Comments

Or, it might be that the 2 cups of ripe red tomatoes are mostly water, bringing the total liquid up to 5 cups.

I make Andrew Carmellini’s version. It is summer in a bowl! Rather than simply use diced tomatoes, Carmellini recipe has you halve and roast fresh tomatoes in the oven for thirty minutes or so. Peel the skin and smash. Use the tomatoes, which become super sweet, as the liquid base for the risotto. I use a quick vegetable stock instead of water. I riffed on this recently by sautéing some summer squash separately and adding it at the finish. The result was Italian comfort food at its best!

I don't know. When I make risotto with a cup and a half of Arborio rice, it takes at least five cups of chicken stock (always homemade!) and thirty or thirty-five minutes to cook. I can't imagine how David Tanis gets his risotto to cook so much faster and with so much less liquid. Or maybe what I can't imagine is the consistency of a risotto done his way. Still, the tomato thing sounds like a good idea--I should try it (with my own proportions and timing!).

We all loved this recipe. Used water but replaced some with extra wine, omitted onion, added an extra handful of parmesan (fresh). Seems very forgiving recipe and making again this week.

Agree with others - will make again. Used water- and a little extra cheese and wine. Excellent.

Yum. I made this as written for the most part, and really enjoyed it with the abundance of tomatoes from the garden. I used 2/3 chicken bone broth, 1/3 water for the liquid, and I thought 3 cups was the right amount I didn't add extra olive oil at the end, thinking that would make it too oily. Used parmesan instead of pecorino, since that is what I had. Don't skimp on the fresh basil! Next time I might try one commentator's suggestion to roast the tomatoes first to bring out the sweetness.

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