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Creamy Tomato Risotto with Stracciatella Cheese

Creamy Tomato Risotto with Stracciatella Cheese

This Creamy Tomato Risotto features silky tender grains of arborio rice studded with blistered mini San Marzano tomatoes and topped with lush stracciatella cheese and fresh basil leaves.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Equipment

  • A large deep skillet
  • A large saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind optional
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 680g (1 ½ lbs) cherry tomatoes I used San Marzano mini tomatoes
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • cups arborio rice
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste heaping
  • cup rosé wine
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup stracciatella cheese**
  • Fresh basil leaves for sprinkling
  • Daikon microgreens for sprinkling

Instructions
 

  • Pour the stock into a large saucepan and add the bay leaves and the parm rind, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
    6 cups vegetable stock, 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind, 2 bay leaves
  • Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the tomatoes and disperse them with your spoon to ensure they are in an even layer. Sprinkle them with salt, and leave them to cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Give them a toss and repeat this step. When the tomatoes' skin splits, transfer them to a bowl and set them aside.
    ¼ cup olive oil, 680g (1 ½ lbs) cherry tomatoes
  • Add the onion to the skillet along with a healthy pinch of salt. Sauté until just translucent. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute more. Add the rice and toast until it crackles and gives off a slightly nutty aroma.
    1 yellow onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1½ cups arborio rice
  • Stir in the tomato paste followed by the wine and honey. Once the wine is absorbed into the rice add 2 ladlesful of the simmer veggie stock to the pan. Stir the rice frequently until the stock is absorbed. Repeat until all the stock is integrated and the rice is tender but still firm in the center.
    1 tbsp tomato paste, ⅓ cup rosé wine, 1 tbsp honey
  • Stir the cream into the risotto and fold in the reserved blistered tomatoes. Heat gently until the tomatoes come back up to temperature.
    ¼ cup heavy cream
  • Spoon the risotto into bowls and top with a few dollops of stracciatella, basil, and daikon microgreens. Serve immediately.
    1 cup stracciatella cheese**, Fresh basil leaves, Daikon microgreens

Notes

** Stracciatella cheese is the cream you find in the center of a ball of burrata. It can be tricky to find, so if you can't track it down, feel free to use fresh mozzarella or a ball of burrata in its stead. 
Keyword arborio rice, Basil, cherry tomatoes, Cream, stracciatella cheese