Katrina’s roasted tomato basil risotto

My best friend created this dish after eating something similar in a restaurant. It is such a bright and flavorful way to enjoy risotto. It is made for summer and a perfect way to use the abundance of both tomatoes and basil coming from my garden.

Frugal from the garden

White wine, butter, yellow onion, and Parmigiano Reggiano, butter, and chicken stock, along with the arborio, are what make it risotto. Plum tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil are what make it Katrina’s. The basil and tomatoes came from my garden, the stock was homemade, and I got a decent deal on this rice the last time I made risotto. I was running low on this cheese, so I was stoked to see it for $10.99/lb at Caputo’s last week. Keep in mind, that although that sounds like expensive cheese, this recipe uses under two ounces, so just over a dollar worth.

Here is how it comes together

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut 6-8 plum tomatoes in half and place them in a lightly oiled glass baking dish, cut side up. This is an 8″ × 8″ dish, and filling it up like this seems to yield the right amount.

Mince four cloves of garlic and chop a generous handful of basil leaves. Add ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ cup olive oil and mix it together well.

Spoon the mixture over the cut tomatoes and roast for about 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.

Set them aside to cool.

Bring five cups of chicken stock to a simmer and keep warm. Melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat and saute a chopped medium yellow onion for about five minutes, adding a pinch of salt. Pour in a cup and a half of rice and toast it for about four minutes.

Add a half cup of white wine.

After the wine is absorbed, pour in about two cups of stock. I learned from America’s Test Kitchen that it isn’t necessary to add the stock as gradually as is traditionally thought, particularly in the beginning. Let that simmer for about ten minutes, until absorbed. After that, add more stock by the half cup, let it absorb, then add more, repeating in the same way until the rice had almost reached the proper doneness.

While you are waiting for the rice to cook (and not standing over it, seriously), peel and roughly chop the roasted tomatoes. The skin should easily peel back once they have cooled enough to touch.

Add the tomato mixture.

Mix well and continue cooking the rice until it reaches al dente consistency.

Once the texture is right, remove the pan from the heat and add ¾ cup or an ounce and a half of freshly grated parmesan. Check and adjust seasoning.

We served it with a bit more cheese, of course. This can easily be a main dish, first course, or side.