Roasted Tomato Risotto

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh tomatoes
• 1 large tomato for the stock
• 2 shallots or 1 white onion
• 250 g risotto rice
• 1 small glass dry white wine, optional
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 litres vegetable stock
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 50 g plant-based butter
• 1 pinch chilli flakes to serve, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the herby oil

• 15 g fresh basil
• 15 g fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or ½ lemon, squeezed
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/450ºF/gas mark 8.

Roughly chop the 500 g of fresh tomatoes and add them to a baking tray. Add olive oil and salt and roast them for 30 minutes. They should be soft and jammy.

While the tomatoes are roasting, finely chop or blend the additional large tomato then simmer it on a low heat in a large saucepan with the vegetable stock until it’s completely hot through. Check for taste and add salt and pepper as needed. This will be the tomato stock. Add this to a measuring jug or heatproof bowl so that you can use the pan for the risotto.

Peel and finely dice the garlic and shallots and add them to the saucepan. Add olive oil and salt and fry until the shallots are softened. Add in all the risotto rice and toast this until the grains are slightly translucent and a little bit golden. Add in the tomato paste and, if you are using white wine, deglaze the pan with it here.

Add in a ladle of the tomato stock and keep stirring until your spoon leaves a trace on the bottom of the pan. Add more stock and keep stirring. Repeat this until you have used up about two thirds of the stock, add in the roasted tomatoes then continue stirring and adding stock.

Once you have used up most of the stock and the rice is completely cooked through, add in the plant-based butter and a last splash of stock. The risotto should now have a slight jiggle to it if the pan is gently shaken. Leave it to set and cool slightly for a few minutes before serving.

For some extra flavour that complements the risotto, make a herby oil to add on top. Blitz the basil and parsley with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. This should form a loose pesto.

Serve the risotto in bowls, garnish with the herby oil and add black pepper and chilli flakes to taste.

Cooking suggestion:

If you want a stronger garlic flavour in the risotto, add it in later with the roasted tomatoes, rather than with the shallots at the beginning.