This easy tomato risotto with parmesan is a great way to wrap up the tomato season. It’s a little sweet, a little creamy, and the lemon zest at the end adds just the right amount of brightness! You can really use any tomato you like, but I used a mix of heirloom tomatoes and cherry tomatoes.
Isn’t this tomato risotto simply beautiful? The arborio rice is suspended perfectly in a creamy, bright sauce!
This easy tomato risotto with parmesan comes together quickly and doesn’t require a ton of prep. All you need to do is chop up some tomatoes, mince a little garlic, dice an onion and grate some parmesan cheese. From there, all the magic happens in the pot!
I finish this risotto with fresh cherry tomatoes and lemon zest. Risotto has a tendency to be a bit rich, and I find the little pop of acidity as garnish really helps cut through the richness of the risotto.
How to make this Easy Tomato Risotto with Parmesan:
To make this tomato risotto parmesan, you’ll start by marinating the tomatoes briefly. First, you’ll chop any large tomatoes and toss them in a bowl with the whole cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and juice from a lemon. Season liberally with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper and let them hang out for about 15 minutes.
While that’s happening, prep the other ingredients. Dice the onion and grate the parmesan cheese.
Next, you’ll start the risotto. Fill up a small pot with stock and set it on the stove over low heat.
Then, sauté the onion until softened and beginning to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add butter and then add the tomatoes and their liquid. Now, depending on how much liquid the tomatoes released while they marinated, you may not need all 6 cups of stock. Just use discernment as your cooking! I ended up using about 4-5 cups instead of the 6.
Let the tomatoes simmer with the onions for about 6-7 minutes. Toss in the rice and reduce the heat to medium low. From there, just keep stirring. Add a ladle of stock. Stir, stir, stir until the liquid is absorbed. Ladle of stock. Stir, stir, stir. So on and so forth until the rice is tender or you’ve used up all the stock, whichever happens first.
Turn the heat off and grate in 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and then let the risotto rest for about 5-7 minutes before you serve.
For this recipe, I garnished with fresh tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon zest along with a bit more parmesan. But feel free to throw on some fresh basil leaves at the end!
Looking for more rice recipes? Check my archives!
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Easy Tomato Risotto with Parmesan
Equipment
- Large pot
- Small pot
Ingredients
Tomato Risotto
- 1 pound ripe tomatoes, halved or chopped cherry, heirloom, or vine
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 lemon juiced and zested; zest reserved for garnish
- Salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste
- 1 yellow onion peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more, for serving
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving:
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 cherry tomatoes halved
- Flaky sea salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Marinate the Tomatoes:
- In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Start Risotto:
- Heat the stock in a small pot on the stove until warm. Keep the heat on low.
Sauté the Onion:
- In a large pot, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes until it begins to soften and turn golden brown.
Cook the Tomatoes:
- Add the marinated tomatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes until they just begin to soften.
Cook the Rice:
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter into the tomatoes and add the rice. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently occasionally.
Incorporate the Stock:
- With the heat on medium, spoon 1-2 ladles of stock into the rice. Stir gently until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1-2 ladles of stock and stirring gently until the stock is absorbed. Continue on until the rice is al dente. You may not use all 6 cups of stock.
Finish the Risotto:
- Once the rice is tender, turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add the grated parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate. Allow the risotto to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
To Serve:
- In a small bowl, combine the reserved halved cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Divide the cooked risotto between shallow bowls. Garnish with the halved cherry tomatoes and more parmesan cheese, if desired. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Enjoy!
So delicious, easy & flavorful. Highly recommend & will make again.
Excellent, cheap and simple dinner. I did sauté a little celery with the onion, and added some white wine before the stock( I used chicken stock because that’s what I had) . We loved it and I will do this again and again.