Risotto with Roasted Tomatoberries & Pesto

Earlier this year I went through a phase where I thought risotto with pearled barley in place of rice was pretty cool. Actually it still is cool. I mean, pearled barley in risotto, it’s pretty cool. I just love the wholesome texture and earthiness it lends to the dish.

I’m not sure exactly where I’m going with this because today’s recipe does not use pearled barley. As much as I do love to use whole grains, sometimes I like to relax and just enjoy a dish the traditional way. I figure this helps me keep it real when I’m creating new recipes and trying to be a kitchen smartypants.

So today I made a beautifully creamy, traditional risotto with roasted tomatoberries and a basil pesto. Have you had a tomatoberry before? I’m not sure how widely available they are. Shaped like a strawberry and similarly sized, they have a stunning, intense flavour without being overly sweet. You could also use cherry tomatoes without a problem.

Risotto with Roasted Tomatoberries & Pesto Recipe
9oz / 250g tomatoberries or cherry tomatoes, halved
2½ pints / 1.2 litres good quality vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1¾ cups / 340g / 12oz arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2oz / 60g / 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
½ cup fresh grated parmesan
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove
big pinch fine ground sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350F / 180C

First, make the pesto. Toast the pine nuts in the oven for 1-2 minutes just to heat them through and intensify the flavour. Do not let them brown. Pulse in a food processor with basil, garlic, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

In a roasting pan, arrange the tomatoberry halves in a single layer, then brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake 20-25 minutes, until skins begin to peel.

In a large skillet over low-medium heat, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the garlic, onion and celery. Sauté for 15 minutes, letting them sweat – it is important not to let them brown so keep an eye on the heat.

Heat the stock in a large saucepan and keep it heated, just off the boil.

Add the arborio rice to the soffrito (the onion/garlic/celery mix). Turn up the heat a little and stir the rice for a minute or so, until it is slightly translucent. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Now you can start adding the stock, one ladle at a time. Be sure to let the stock fully absorb before adding the next ladle. Keep the heat low and keep stirring – you don’t want to overcook the outer layer of the rice. Keep adding stock until the rice is cooked but still has a firm bite. This should take around 20 minutes. If you run out of stock before the rice is ready, add extra boiling water one ladle at a time.

When the rice is done, remove from heat and stir through the remaining tablespoon of butter and parmesan. Cover and let sit for a couple of minutes so the parmesan melts and and you are left with a perfectly creamy risotto.

Top with roasted tomatoberries and a dollop of pesto and serve while it still has the perfect consistency.

Serves 4.