Pesto Risotto With Grilled Cherry Tomatoes
Risotto is one of the dishes that feels like a celebration to me. This time I tried a lemony pesto risotto - creamy, vibrant and fresh. It’s nothing but a classic risotto base finished with homemade pesto and lemon zest, then topped with juicy, oven charred tomatoes. A bit of summer in a bowl…
The recipe …
Preparing The pesto
In a blender, food processor, or mortar and pestle, combine: extra verging olive oil, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Blend or crush into a paste. Set aside.
Baking the tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 200C with ventilation.
Peel the garlic cloves.
Cut the tomatoes in bite-sized chinks. If you use cherry tomatoes you can leave them whole.
Toss the tomatoes and the garlic in a bowl with a tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Spread everything on a baking tray, lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and slightly charred.
The risotto liquid
Prepare a quick flavorful broth by gently simmering carrots, onions and celery in water for about 30 minutes. You’ll need about 450 ml of liquid for 100 grams of rice. Supplement with hot water if needed.
Preparing the risotto
Finely chop a medium onion and place it into a thick pot with two table spoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then add a ladle of soup and bring to a simmer. (The original recipe requires the sautéed onion but I’ll go a bit lighter here). From here we apply the risotto method:
Start by adding all the rice quantity in the thick pot where the liquid is simmering, keep it on low heat and mix often until the rice incorporates all the liquid, then add more liquid with a ladle. Continue mixing and adding small quantities of hot liquid until the risotto becomes soft and creamy. This process can take between 25 to 34 minutes depending on the rice you are using.
About 5 minutes before finishing, stir in the pesto sauce. Mix well and let the risotto get to a boil again then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let it rest about 5 minutes, then serve.
Spoon the risotto into the serving plates.
Top with the baked tomatoes and the garlic.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil … Enjoy !
INGREDIENTS - for two portions
Organic or “Best you can get” !
For the base risotto
Arborio rice - 100 grams (or any risotto rice)
Onion - 1 medium
Good quality extra virgin olive oil - 10 ml
A dust of freshly ground pepper
A pinch of salt
For the risotto liquid - prepare about 500 ml
Celery (root) - 150 grams peeled
Carrots - 150 grams peeled
Onion - 1 medium
Water - start with 1 liter
For the baked tomatoes
Tomatoes 150 g (you can use cherry tomatoes)
Garlic 4-5 cloves
Good quality extra virgin olive oil - 10 ml
A pinch of salt
For the pesto
Extra virgin olive oil - 2 spoons
Pine seeds - 15 grams
Fresh basil - 15 grams or 10-15 leaves
Parmesan cheese - 20 grams
Lemon - juice and zest from 1/2
