Smoky Tomato Risotto

Lately, I've been dreaming of a creamy, satisfying plate of risotto.  I'm sure it has something to do with the thick blanket of snow outside, the perma-chill in my bones that I can't seem to shake, and the constant longing for a fireplace to cozy up beside.  Growing up we always seemed to have a fireplace either in our home or in the home of a family member (much like that cool, wet pool I long for in the summertime).  But, since we have yet to stumble upon our dream-home, I have to conjur up memories of fireplaces past.  I love the hiss that a log makes as the moisture longs for escape from the flames licking its edges.  And the pop of the superheated sap exploding.   And that comforting crackle that can lull me into submission.  I miss throwing in a pine cone or a cinnamon stick in order to catch a whiff of those scents of the season.

So, when I saw Natashya post an amazing looking Tomato Risotto that came from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, I immediately knew that I was making it.  After pulling my much-loved copy of the book from the shelf, I resolved that while I was making it, I was entirely in the mood to shake it up a bit and add a smoky, warming twist by throwing in some smoked paprika, smoked mozzarella, and fire-roasted tomatoes.  So, while I may currently be without fireplace, I do have a deep, rich, creamy, smoky heap of risotto on a plate in front of me to keep me warm.

Fantastic as a (vegetarian) main dish, I think it would also fare well as a base to shrimp, chicken, or even a fried egg.  

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Smoky Tomato Risotto

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: up to 30 minutes

Cook Time: ~30 minutes

Keywords: entree side vegetarian rice tomatoes Italian

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

Quick Vegetable Broth

• ½ onion, peeled & halved
• 1 carrot, broken in chunks
• ½ celery stalk, broken in chunks
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 small tomato, halved
• a few stalks of parsley
• 5 c. water
• sea salt

Risotto

• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• pinch of crushed red chile flakes
• 1 c. arborio rice
• 1 c. fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed (~1/2 14 oz. can)
• ~3 c. Quick Vegetable Broth (or vegetable stock)
• 1 Tbs. smoked paprika
• few sprigs of fresh basil, torn
• ¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan
• ⅔ c. smoked Mozzarella, shredded or diced small

to serve

• olive oil
• freshly grated Parmesan
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Quick Vegetable Broth (If you have vegetable stock, you can skip this step and just warm up your stock in a pan on the back of the stove.)

Put the veggies and herbs in a pot with the water and season with some salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Let cook about 30 minutes. Keep warm over lowest heat possible.

Making the Risotto

Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Saute the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until they've just started to soften. Add rice and crushed red chile. Continue to cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for a few more minutes. All of the grains of rice should be coated and milky-looking.

Stir in the smoked paprika, half of the basil, and half of the tomato puree. Add in a ladle of warm stock. Continue stirring and adding in a ladle full of the broth at a time until the rice has just absorbed it...and then adding another. After ten minutes of doing this, add in the remaining tomato puree. Continue with remaining broth (up to ~3 cups). This process should take a total of about 20 minutes.

Test the rice. It should still feel somewhat firm (al dente), but also smooth and creamy. If it still feels hard, add in another ladle full of stock and cook down, stirring. When rice is al dente, turn off the heat and stir in both cheeses and the remaining basil.

Serve warm, drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with more Parmesan. Grate some black pepper over, if you wish. Enjoy!

note:

If you would like to remove the garlic cloves, do so just before stirring in the cheese. Personally, I leave them in...it's like a bonus if you get one on your plate!

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I am sharing this post with:
IHCC theme: Rice is Nice!
F.O.T.M.C.: Tomatoes
Bookmarked Recipes at Tinned Tomatoes (founded by Ruth's Kitchen Experiments)