Tomato Risotto (Creamy Italian Recipe)
This creamy tomato risotto turns ripe summer tomatoes into a silky, comforting bowl of arborio rice, with a peppery drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to finish. It tastes like a restaurant plate, yet it comes together in one pan on the stovetop.
Recipe Success Tips
Use arborio or carnaroli rice, nothing else.
These short-grain rices are high in starch, which is what makes risotto creamy without any cream. Do not rinse the rice first, since rinsing washes away the starch you want to keep.
Toast the rice before any liquid goes in.
Stirring the dry grains in the oil for a couple of minutes, until the edges turn translucent, sets up a nutty backbone and keeps the grains separate. You want the rice coated and glossy before the wine hits.
Keep the stock hot and add it a ladle at a time.
Cold stock shocks the rice and stalls the cooking. Warm broth added gradually, stirring until each addition is nearly absorbed, is how the risotto releases its starch and turns silky.
Finish with a raw, peppery olive oil.
Once the pan is off the heat, a drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil adds a fresh, grassy, peppery note that lifts the sweet tomato. A finishing oil is tasted on its own, so reach for a fresh, bold bottle here.
Stop cooking while it is still loose.
Risotto keeps thickening off the heat, so pull it when it slides slowly across the pan (Italians call it all'onda, wavy). A stiff risotto has usually been cooked a few minutes too long.
Ingredients
4
servings
- 3 tbsp High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more to finish
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 lb ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can whole, crushed)
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock, kept hot
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
Kitchen Tools You'll Need
Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Box grater
How to Cook Tomato Risotto (Creamy Italian Recipe)
PREP
1
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer in a separate saucepan and keep it warm over low heat. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice or crush the tomatoes so everything is ready before you start stirring.
COOK
2
Warm the High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, then add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for about 6 minutes, until soft and translucent. The High Phenolic carries the aromatics evenly and rounds out the base without ever fighting the tomato.
3
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until it deepens to a brick red. Add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until they slump and release their juices.
4
Add the arborio rice and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until the grains are glossy and the edges look translucent. Pour in the white wine and stir until it has almost fully cooked away.
5
Add the hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. After 20 to 25 minutes the rice should be creamy and just tender with a slight bite at the center.
FINISH
6
Off the heat, stir in the parmesan and most of the basil, then taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The risotto should slide slowly across the pan; loosen it with a splash more stock if it has tightened.
7
Spoon into warm bowls and finish each one with a drizzle of Ultra High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a bold, peppery lift, a scatter of the remaining basil, and a little extra parmesan.
Recipe Notes
This risotto is a full meal with a green salad and crusty bread, but it also works as a starter before a simple roast. If you love a creamier, cheesier bowl, our creamy parmesan risotto is the natural next step, and a bright lemon risotto makes a lovely spring counterpart.
Fold in a handful of baby spinach or peas at the end for a lighter, more vegetable-forward bowl, closer to our vegetable risotto. For a deeper, earthier version, stir in sauteed mushrooms the way we do in our wild mushroom risotto. A pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic adds a gentle warmth.
Cook the base in High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which stays smooth and balanced through the sauteing and simmering. Save the bolder Ultra High Phenolic for the raw drizzle at the table, where its fresh peppery character is tasted directly. Prefer a gentler finish? A little more of the High Phenolic works too.
Risotto is best fresh, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of stock or water, stirring until loose and creamy again. Store your olive oil away from heat and light so it stays fresh and peppery.
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 heaping cup
Calories
420
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g19%
Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 11g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5g
Cholesterol 8mg3%
Sodium 680mg30%
Total Carbohydrate 62g23%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 5g
Includes 0g Added Sugars 0%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 75mcg8%
Vitamin C 18mg20%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%
Calcium 140mg11%
Iron 2mg11%
Potassium 480mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Use a short-grain, high-starch rice such as arborio or carnaroli. The starch is what makes risotto creamy without adding cream, so avoid long-grain rice and do not rinse the grains before cooking.
Yes. A 14-ounce can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand, works beautifully out of season and often tastes more consistent than pale winter tomatoes. Use the juices too, and reduce the added salt slightly since canned tomatoes are often salted.
Near-constant stirring helps the rice release its starch and cook evenly, but you do not have to stir every second. Stir often, keep the heat at a steady simmer, and add the hot stock gradually.
Yes. Replace the white wine with an extra splash of hot stock plus a small squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar to keep that gentle acidity that balances the tomato.
It is naturally gluten-free since rice contains no gluten, and it is vegetarian when you use vegetable stock and a rennet-free parmesan-style cheese. Check your stock and cheese labels if either is important to you.
That usually means it cooked a little too long or too much starch broke down. Pull the pan off the heat while the risotto still slides slowly across it and loosen it with a splash of warm stock just before serving.
Cook the base in a smooth, balanced oil like High Phenolic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which holds up to the sauteing and simmering. Finish each bowl with a raw drizzle of the bolder Ultra High Phenolic for a fresh, peppery lift.
Polyphenols come from the olives themselves and are highest in fresh, early-harvest, cold-pressed oil. Olivea's oils are qNMR-verified for their polyphenol content, and a finishing drizzle from a fresh bottle is how the most of those polyphenols and their peppery flavor reach the plate.
A crisp green salad, crusty bread, and a glass of white wine round it out as a meal. It also makes an elegant first course before roasted chicken, fish, or vegetables.
Risotto is best fresh, but you can cook it about three-quarters of the way, spread it to cool, and finish it with the last of the stock just before serving. Leftovers keep for up to three days and reheat well with a splash of stock.
