Risotto with tomato sauce is a simple first course that children actually like. Plus, it’s a great alternative to the classic pasta with tomato sauce.
Make it with fresh tomatoes and tomato purée or with preserves – all the better if they’re homemade and preserved in glass. The secret to this recipe lies in the choice of high-quality ingredients and the cooking times. The risotto must be creamy just to the right point, without any tomato chunks and not too red. Finally, playing with fresh herbs makes all the difference!
How to make tomato risotto
To make our recipe for tomato risotto, first calculate the right amount of rice (i.e. about two handfuls per person – "plus one for the pot” as they say). This very homemade way of portioning rice is actually quite effective.
Start with a simple soffritto of onion and oil. Once the onion is soft and golden, add the rice and toast it for a couple of minutes. Add some vegetable broth made with celery, carrot, onion, a few tomatoes, a leaf of chard, spinach and potato. Then slowly add a few tablespoons of tomato purée or previously blanched and peeled fresh or preserved tomatoes.
Stir continuously, adding more broth when necessary. Once the risotto has almost finished cooking (12-13 minutes in), add salt and pepper with a mixture of minced fresh herbs. We suggest using basil, sage, oregano and marjoram to add flavor. If you’re afraid of distorting the taste of the tomato too much, just use basil on its own. Stir in a knob of butter and serve the hot risotto with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
The streamlined variant
Though cheese is not technically included in the original recipe for tomato risotto, you can add some mozzarella cubes – kind of like a gnocchi alla sorrentina! Plus, the family will love it, too. (What kid doesn’t love stringy cheese?) It’s important, though, to make sure the mozzarella is drained and added only after you finish cooking the risotto – just enough time to melt a little bit. Serve immediately: If the mozzarella cools, the effect is lost and the risotto gets sticky.