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The BEST Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto

Oct 10, 2022 | 4 comments

This lusciously creamy, easy tomato and mascarpone risotto is the ultimate hug in a bowl. It comes together in just 25 minutes, uses store cupboard staples and is SO delicious. Serve with a drizzle of herby basil pesto for a quick weeknight meal.

Tomato mascarpone risotto in a large white plate with dollop of green pesto on top, with a gold spoon in the risotto and bowl of mascarpone in the background.

There aren’t many dishes out there that scream comfort in a bowl more than a warm, creamy bowl of risotto. And this tomato and mascarpone version is absolutely DELICIOUS. It uses ingredients you probably already have in your cupboard and is easier than you might think. 

Risotto often gets a bad rap for being hard to make, but it really is a simple dish. Yes, you have to stir it, but it’s pretty stress-free. Pop on a great podcast or playlist, grab a glass of wine and just enjoy the process – that’s how I like to make this! You can also get the kids involved and share the stirring, it’s a really fun way to involve them in the kitchen.

And the best part of making risotto? If you have any leftovers you can make mozzarella-stuffed arancini balls the next day!

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • It uses mainly store cupboard ingredients.
  • Takes less than 30 minutes, from prep to the finished dish.
  • It’s cheap and easy to make.

Ingredients

Everything you need for this risotto should be easy to find at a regular supermarket (and you probably have most things already!)

Ingredients for tomato mascarpone risotto laid out on a marble background and labelled.
  • Risotto rice. It’s super important you use the right rice for risotto. That means either arborio or carnaroli. Risotto rice is very starchy, which creates that gorgeous creamy consistency we’re after. You won’t get that result if you use regular long-grain rice.
  • Tinned tomatoes. I’m keeping things very simple and using tinned tomatoes here. Use whole, cherry, crushed or chopped – it doesn’t matter! I also love to make this with tomato passata (tomato puree in the US).
  • Stock. Use any good vegetable or chicken stock here. Just be careful when adding extra salt at the end because stock has different salt levels, so always taste before adding more.
  • Parmesan. Try to grate the parmesan from a block, rather than using pre-grated. That’s because the pre-grated stuff has an anti-caking coating which will prevent it from melting properly into the risotto.
  • Mascarpone. This is the one that makes the risotto incredibly creamy and luxurious. If you can’t find it, just use cream cheese, ricotta, boursin or single cream. You can leave it out if you like, you just won’t get a super creamy result.

The wine is optional here – leave it out if you prefer.

There are also some fun additions you could play around with – add a teaspoon of chilli flakes and smoked paprika when you’re cooking the onions and garlic to add a little warmth and spice. Or add 1 tablespoon of ‘nduja paste or chopped chorizo for an even smokier flavour that works wonderfully with the tomatoes and mascarpone.

How to make it

Start by setting a large saucepan over medium heat, then add your olive oil, diced onion and a little salt. Cook for a few minutes, then go in with the garlic, then the rice. You want to stir the rice through the onions, garlic and olive oil so it’s well coated and cook it a little until it starts to smell ‘toasty’. This will take a couple of minutes. You’re looking for the edges of the rice to start looking more translucent or see-through, while the middle is still white.

If you’re using it, now is the time to add the wine and let it bubble rapidly for a couple of minutes so the alcohol evaporates. Stir it through the rice, then add your tinned tomatoes. Stir again and bring it to a simmer. Now you’re ready to start adding your stock. Working with a ladleful at a time, add the stock to the rice and then stir constantly until the ladleful has been absorbed. Once it has absorbed, go in again with another ladleful of stock. Repeat this process until you’ve got no more stock left. At this point, your rice should be al dente (cooked, with a little bite to it in the middle).

At this point, add your grated parmesan and mascarpone and stir them so they melt into the risotto. Divide between plates, then drizzle with pesto, scatter over more grated parmesan and finish with fresh basil leaves.

How to make this in an Instant Pot

You can make this risotto easily in an Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker) if you have one. All you need to do is follow the recipe up until you add the stock, using the ‘sauté’ mode on your Instant Pot. Because no liquid will evaporate in the Instant Pot, you’ll need to cut down the amount of stock you’re adding to 1 1/2 cups.

Instead of adding a ladleful of stock at a time, you’re going to add all 1 1/2 cups of stock, then seal your Instant Pot and set it on high pressure for 8 minutes, then use the rapid release (being very careful of the steam!)

After this, you should have a super creamy risotto! Then all you need to do is stir through the parmesan and mascarpone and serve as per the recipe. It will look a little liquidy when you remove the lid but don’t worry – once you stir it and mix through the parmesan and mascarpone you’ll find it thickens up perfectly.

Got a question?

Can I make this with fresh tomatoes?

You can! If you do this, you’ll need to add the tomatoes BEFORE you add the rice. You’re essentially creating a bit of a tomato sauce first. Use 400g of chopped fresh tomatoes. You’ll need to cook them down for about 10 minutes until they start breaking up and going soft and jammy. At that point, go in with the rice and then follow the rest of the recipe.

Can I prepare the risotto in advance?

You can! I learned this trick at Le Cordon Bleu and it’s a great one. All you have to do is part-cook the risotto – so add half the stock, then stop. Spread the risotto out onto a lined baking tray on a single layer (this is going to help it cool fast and stop it from cooking further). Cover with cling film, then pop in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then all you have to do is add the cooled, part-cooked risotto back into your pot and finish adding the rest of the stock which should only take 5 or so minutes.

What can I use if I can’t find mascarpone?

You can use cream cheese, ricotta, single cream, Boursin or you can leave it out entirely – it just won’t be as creamy.

Why do you have to stir risotto?

There are three good reasons for this. First, stirring the rice will help the starch release, which is what creates that creamy consistency we’re after in a risotto. Second, it helps the rice cook evenly. And third, it stops the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot!

Can I reheat risotto?

You can – either do it on the stovetop in a pot or in the microwave. You’ll need to add a little water to help it loosen up as you’ll find the rice will have continued to soak up the liquid in the fridge so needs a little help. Use 2 tablespoons of water.

What can I do with leftover risotto?

The best thing to do is to make mozzarella-stuffed arancini balls! These are breaded and fried rice balls and they are DELICIOUS. Have a look at my recipe for how to make mozzarella stuffed arancini for a guide.

Like this recipe? Here are some more comfort food favourites you might enjoy

If you make this risotto, let me know in the comments below! I love hearing how you get on with my creations.

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Close up of tomato mascarpone risotto in a large white plate with dollop of green pesto on top.

The BEST Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto


  • Author: Kate Alexandra
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This lusciously creamy, easy tomato and mascarpone risotto is the ultimate hug in a bowl. It comes together in just 25 minutes, uses cupboard staples and is SO delicious. Serve with a drizzle of herby basil pesto for a quick weeknight meal.

You can also make this in an Instant Pot – check the notes for instructions.


Ingredients

Units Scale

For the risotto –

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 cups arborio rice (or use carnaroli)
  • 1/3 cup white wine (optional)
  • 400g/14oz tin of tomatoes (use crushed, chopped, whole, cherry tomatoes or tomato passata)
  • 3 cups hot stock (vegetable or chicken)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons mascarpone (or use cream cheese, Boursin, ricotta or single cream)

To serve –


Instructions

  1. Cook the onion and garlic. Start by getting a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced onion and ½ teaspoon of salt, then cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until the onion starts to soften and change colour (it’ll start becoming more transparent). At this point, add the crushed garlic and stir for another minute. Add 2 cups of rice, and stir through the onion and garlic for 2 minutes until the rice is smelling ‘toasty’.
  2. Add the wine and tomatoes. If you’re using the wine, pour it in at this point and let it rapidly bubble for 2 minutes, stirring, so the alcohol evaporates and it picks up all the lovely flavour that’s already gathering at the bottom of your pot. Pour in the tomatoes and give everything a good stir, then bring to a simmer.
  3. Add the stock. This is the therapeutic part of making a risotto. Pour in a ladleful of the stock, then stir until the stock has been absorbed by the rice. At this point, add another ladleful of stock and stir again until it’s absorbed. Continue adding stock then stirring until all the stock has been used up. This should take around 15 minutes and at the end, your risotto should look creamy and the rice should be al dente (cooked, with a tiny bit of a bite in the middle).
  4. Finish the risotto. At this point, it’s time to add the grated parmesan and mascarpone. Stir so it melts into the risotto, then give it a taste and add a little more salt if you think it needs it (this will depend on the saltiness of your stock). A good measure of this is if it tastes a little bland or that it’s missing something, it probably needs a bit more salt. Go in with a ¼ teaspoon at a time so you don’t overdo it. Divide between plates. Drizzle the pesto over the risotto on the plates, then top with basil leaves and more grated parmesan. Eat right away.

Notes

HOW TO MAKE RISOTTO IN AN INSTANT POT: You will have to reduce the amount of stock to 1 1/2 cups because no liquid will evaporate in the pressure cooker. Just follow the recipe up until adding the stock, using the ‘sauté’ mode on your Instant Pot. Instead of adding a ladleful of stock at a time, you’re going to add 1 1/2 cups of the stock, then seal your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, then use the rapid release (being very careful of the steam!) After this, you should have a creamy, cooked risotto and all you need to do is stir through the parmesan, mascarpone and basil and serve as per the recipe. It will look a little liquidy once you remove the lid, but don’t worry! Once you’ve stirred through the parmesan and mascarpone, it’ll thicken up nicely. If it’s still a little watery, just stir it for a few minutes on ‘saute’ mode and you’ll find it will thicken up.

MAKE AHEAD: I learned a wonderful trick at Le Cordon Bleu and this is how they tend to do it in restaurants. Cook your risotto part-way through – let it absorb half of the stock, then spread it out on a single layer on a lined oven tray, cover it lightly in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge. When you’re ready to finish, all you have to do is add the rice into a pan and stir in the rest of the hot stock which should only take another 5 or so minutes.

LEFTOVERS? This would be an EXCELLENT excuse to make a batch of mozzarella-stuffed arancini balls.

SUBSTITUTIONS: As mentioned in the recipe, if you can’t find mascarpone, you can use cream cheese, ricotta, Boursin, or single cream. You could also leave it out and it’ll still be delicious, just not quite as creamy. Switch up the pesto topping if you like – this is equally lovely with a punchy salsa verde, or a quick herb dressing (just chop whatever herbs you like – thyme, oregano, flat leaf parsley or basil are great – then mix with a couple of tablespoon of olive oil and the zest of a lemon).

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Category: rice
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl

Keywords: easy tomato risotto, tomato risotto recipe, creamy tomato risotto

Welcome!

I’m Kate, the creator behind Dished. I love creating flavour packed, simple (ish) recipes for you, designed for every day and special occasions.

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4 Comments

  1. Cassie

    This is SUCH a delicious recipe – I made it last night and it was so easy and tasty, so good for cold nights

    Reply
  2. Tara

    Made this today using the instant pot instructions – so good and easy!!!!

    Reply
  3. Tess

    absolutely delicious, i’ve never tried tomato based risotto before but this is so good and easy!

    Reply

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