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.

The BEST Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto

Name: The BEST Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, diced; ½ teaspoon salt; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 cups arborio rice (or use carnaroli); ⅓ 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); 1 tablespoon pesto (try my easy basil pesto recipe or sun-dried tomato pesto); Handful of fresh basil leaves; Extra grated parmesan

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 –

1 tablespoon pesto (try my easy basil pesto recipe or sun-dried tomato pesto)
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Extra grated parmesan

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Instructions

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’.
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.
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).
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