Name: Cherry tomato and basil risotto
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 400 g whole cherry tomatoes, washed, skins on; 1 litre prepared vegetable stock; 125 g unsalted butter, divided into two equal portions; 8 halves sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed, chopped; 150 ml red wine; 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped just before finishing; 4 tablespoons olive oil (15 ml per tablespoon; 60 ml total); 500 ml tomato passata; 1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped; 400 g Arborio rice, weighed dry; 50 g grated Parmesan (40 g for the rice and 10 g to finish); Salt and black pepper to taste

The recipe

Cherry tomato and basil risotto

Recipe by Bernie Torras

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main courseCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

servings

Preparation (approx.)

minutes

Cooking (approx.)

minutes

Calories (approx.)

590

kcal/serving

Total time (approx.)

minutes

A creamy risotto with three forms of tomato: passata, sun-dried tomatoes and skin-on roasted cherry tomatoes. Red wine adds depth, while basil goes in at the end with butter and Parmesan. From Bernie Torras's recipe collection, serving six.

Modo cocción

Mantén encendida la pantalla de tu dispositivo mientras cocinas

Ingredients

400 g whole cherry tomatoes, washed, skins on
1 litre prepared vegetable stock
125 g unsalted butter, divided into two equal portions
8 halves sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed, chopped
150 ml red wine
4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped just before finishing
4 tablespoons olive oil (15 ml per tablespoon; 60 ml total)
500 ml tomato passata
1 onion, peeled and very finely chopped
400 g Arborio rice, weighed dry
50 g grated Parmesan (40 g for the rice and 10 g to finish)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat a conventional oven to 200 °C. Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes; chop the onion and sun-dried tomatoes. Divide the butter into two 62.5 g portions and reserve 10 g of Parmesan for serving.
Put the whole cherry tomatoes in a roasting dish with all four tablespoons of oil and a little salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until tender with wrinkled skins. Keep the oil and juices from the dish. Roast the tomatoes while preparing the rice.
Combine the vegetable stock and passata in a saucepan and keep warm over low heat, without boiling vigorously. Have a little hot water ready only in case you need to adjust the rice's consistency.
Melt half the butter in a wide pan. Add the onion and soften for a few minutes without browning, then add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook over low heat for another 10–12 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
Add the dry rice and stir for about 2 minutes to coat and toast it lightly: the outside of each grain becomes slightly translucent while the centre stays white. Add the red wine and allow it to reduce, stirring.
Add a ladleful of hot stock and passata. Keep at a gentle simmer and stir frequently, adding more liquid when the previous addition is mostly absorbed. Cook the rice for about 17–20 minutes from the first ladleful; start tasting towards the end and judge by the grain's texture.
The rice should be tender with a little resistance in the centre, and the mixture should flow when you move the pan. Do not force in all the stock if the rice is already ready; add a little hot water if it needs more liquid. Taste before adjusting salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat. Fold in the remaining butter, the 40 g of Parmesan and the freshly chopped basil. Mix gently until creamy, keeping the risotto loose.
Divide among six plates and top with the roasted cherry tomatoes. Share out the roasting juices and oil, then finish with the reserved 10 g of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Notes

Source: scan F0207-2, serving six. The original 125 g butter, four tablespoons of oil and 150 ml red wine are retained. The word 'parma' is interpreted as grated Parmesan cheese, consistent with the method and handwritten note.
The handwritten tips say to leave the cherry tomato skins on, add basil at the last moment and stir during cooking. The original allows Arborio or bomba rice; this method uses Arborio. For another rice, adjust liquid and cooking time to the grain's texture.
Start with prepared vegetable stock and passata. The scan mentions a porcini infusion and slow-cooked homemade passata, but gives no complete quantities for these: they remain variations, not extra ingredients in this recipe.
Allow approximately 15 minutes for preparation and 40 for cooking, about 55 minutes total, with the tomatoes roasting in parallel. Making stock or passata from scratch is not included.
Nutrition is an estimate for one sixth of the recipe, using USDA SR28: a 150 g onion, eight sun-dried tomato halves weighing 20 g altogether, 10 g basil, 60 ml oil approximated as 54 g, and 500 ml passata approximated as 500 g. All stock, oil, butter, cheese and wine are counted; no allowance is made for alcohol evaporation. Brands and the liquid actually used change the values.
Reported carbohydrate includes fibre. Estimated sodium corresponds to about 1.61 g salt per serving, excluding salt added to taste. Finished cooked weight has not been measured. Drinks and other menu dishes are excluded.
Allergens: milk in the butter and Parmesan; wine may supply sulphites. Check stock and sun-dried tomato labels for celery, gluten, sulphites or possible traces. This is not claimed to be gluten-free. Traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet: choose a suitable cheese for a vegetarian adaptation.
Reducing the wine does not guarantee removal of all alcohol. To avoid it, replace the 150 ml wine with vegetable stock; this is an adaptation and changes the nutrition estimate.

Equipment

Oven and roasting dish
Wide heavy-based pan
Saucepan for the stock
Ladle and spatula
Scales, measuring jug and grater

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories: 590kcal
Fat: 29.0g
Saturated Fat: 13.3g
Sodium: 643mg
Carbohydrates: 69.7g
Fiber: 4.2g
Sugar: 9.2g
Protein: 10.7g

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Key points of the recipe

Use dry rice without rinsing it: the starch helps make the risotto creamy.
Keep the stock and passata hot and add it gradually.
Taste the rice before 20 minutes; texture matters more than a fixed time.
Add the basil, final butter and Parmesan off the heat, then serve promptly.

Pairing with wine

We suggest a young Barbera with good acidity and moderate tannins, served at around 14–16 °C. Its freshness suits the tomato's acidity and the butter without overwhelming the basil. Avoid heavily oaked or very alcoholic versions. This is an editorial pairing suggestion; the cooking wine can be another dry red.

Beer pairing

An Amber Ale with moderate bitterness, served at around 8–10 °C, brings malt notes alongside the roasted tomatoes and carbonation to balance the creamy texture. Choose a balanced example without intense bitterness that could clash with the tomato. This is an editorial suggestion to adapt to the particular beer.

Complete menu for this Cherry tomato and basil risotto recipe

Serve this risotto as the main course, with a fresh starter and a fruit dessert. Keep the salad and mango cream portions small alongside the rich rice.

Starter: Kachumber Salad. Freshly dressed Kachumber salad without the optional chilli, with the poppadums served separately to keep them crisp.
Main course: Cherry tomato and basil risotto. One sixth of the risotto, topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and the reserved Parmesan.
Dessert: Mango Cream. A small glass of well-chilled mango cream; pistachios are optional, as in the published recipe.

Wine for the menu: a fresh, dry Garnacha rosé with both the chilli-free salad and the risotto, using its acidity and fruit to accompany both dishes. Switch to a chilled sweet Moscato d'Asti for the mango cream. This is a two-wine suggestion; the dessert wine should be at least as sweet as the cream.

Beer for the menu: a mellow Amber Ale with restrained bitterness for the starter and risotto. For the mango cream, switch to a fruit beer with noticeable sweetness and little bitterness, preferably with tropical fruit; a very sour fruit beer is not equivalent. Serve moderate amounts and adapt the choice to the individual product.

Menu allergens: the risotto and mango cream contain milk; optional pistachios add tree nuts. Check stock, sun-dried tomatoes and poppadum labels. Wine may supply sulphites and conventional beer contains gluten. Drinks, starter and dessert are not included in the risotto's nutrition.

Typical allergens

Avoid this recipe if any diner has allergies* to: Dairy, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites

* In Puchero MIX we inform you about the most typical allergens in this dish. However, we recommend that you ask all diners if they have any specific food allergies. In addition, we recommend checking the labels of all individual ingredients to ensure that they do not contain traces of other allergens, as conditions may vary by producer or manufacturer.

Other recipes with

Aceite de oliva, Albahaca fresca, Arroz, Caldo de verduras, Cebolla, mantequilla sin sal, Pimienta negra, Queso parmesano, Sal, Salsa de tomate, Tomate cherry, Tomate deshidratado, Vino tinto

Other recipes that pair with

Barbera

Amber Ale - Ámbar

Bernie Torras

Una vez fui cocinero, y entre fogones aprendí que la cocina no solo se trata de recetas, sino de historias. Con años de experiencia en escuelas de prestigio y más de una quemadura en varios restaurantes, hoy traduzco todo ese sabor a palabras. Porque cocinar es algo más que mezclar ingredientes; es crear momentos y recuerdos para tu mesa, con pasión y precisión, como una buena receta.

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