Tomato and goat cheese risotto

July 14, 2011  •  Category:

This is a risotto from chef Giovanni Perrone.


I think that the idea that one has to cook a risotto in one swoop or else…is a myth. I have made dozens of risottos in two stages, even cooked the rice halfway and finished cooking it the next day and it still turned out fine.

I used a wonderful Texas-grown arborio for this recipe.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups of arborio rice
  • 12 ounces of goat cheese
  • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup of tomato sauce with basil if possible
  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter plus some tablespoons of oil if needed
  • 1 medium onion (used 2 large shallots)
  • 1 cube of veggie bouillon diluted in 3 cups of boiling water
  • 1 cup of grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup of dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh rosemary (or thyme or basil)
  • Salt, pepper, to taste

METHOD:

  1. Chop onions fine; cut cherry tomatoes in half; mince rosemary. Slice goat cheese and cut in chunks.
  2. Melt butter in a large skillet (add some oil to prevent burning the butter); when frothy, add the onions and fry till golden; add rice and fry till translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour the wine and let it evaporate, stirring every few seconds.
  3. Add one cup of veggie bouillon and let it evaporate, stirring the rice every few seconds. Add another cup, then another.
  4. Add the tomato sauce to the rice and stir, let it reduce, then add the goat cheese and stir, let it melt then add the tomatoes.When the rice is cooked it should be tender but with a bite. Serve with additional parmesan sprinkled on top.

Comments

23 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. senga50 says:

    Tout y est pour le parfum et le moelleux et le beurre pour achever de nous plaire…

  2. Leigh says:

    Looks absolutely delicious…I love this rice as well but have never thought of putting goat cheese with it..insane (in a good way!) 😉 Thanks for another lovely recipe and photos.

  3. Rosa says:

    Lovely and so mouthwatering!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  4. Banana Wonder says:

    MMmmmmm you had me at tomatoes and goat cheese. I love your recipe and love the addition of rosemary. I must try this! Thanks!

  5. Devaki says:

    What lovely flavors in a perfectly cooked risotto, Joumana! Perfectly summery 🙂

    chow! Devaki @ weavethousandflavors

  6. Lyndsey says:

    This looks wonderful…you have me thinking I need to make risotto again. I love the flavors in this one!

  7. Krista says:

    I’m so glad that you’re flexible with recipes and techniques, Joumana. 🙂 I love that you added goat cheese to this risotto. Delicious!!

  8. rebecca says:

    oh yum funny I was just thinking of making a risotto tomorrow love it

  9. Juanita says:

    There really are so many myths surrounding risotto, aren’t there. I always like to remind people that at the end of the day it’s a grain that absorbs a liquid…however it gets there (in one sage, two stages, or stirred in laboriously over twenty to thirty minutes by the ladle full), the end result must be the same…a grain that has absorbed ENOUGH liquid to be soft 🙂

    Goat’s cheese seems to be a popular ingredient on US food blogs at the moment (which is great, since I like the stuff a lot).
    Also, berries.
    It’s so interesting watching trends develop from a vantage point where entirely different foods are available or in-season.

  10. Chiara says:

    Being from Milano, risotto is one of my favorite dishes. This one looks amazing!

  11. Nuts about food says:

    In Milan we take our risotto pretty seriously (as you probably know from my tutorial, which by the way was made with tomato risotto, one of my all time favorites). It never even crossed my mind to make it two stages. But yours looks pretty darn good so I will have to give it a try.

  12. gula welat says:

    un plat vraiment gourmand et qui sent le soleil =)

  13. Sasha says:

    I bought a big ol’ bag of arborio rice a couple’a months back and have yet to open it. Forgot about it totally, this recipe looks really lovely and I will definitely be saving this to give a go for when i finally open that bag 🙂 Anything with a cup of wine in is bound to be a winner!

  14. Amanda says:

    I just love the colour in this risotto – and it is a perfect dish for our current wintry weather here in South Australia. Thanks!

  15. Heavenly Housewife says:

    What a lovely risotto! It looks nice and creamy 😀
    *kisses* HH

  16. Adelina says:

    I had heard from my cousin that in their restaurant they prepare risotto in a two step process as well but have not had the courage to make it this way. Thanks Joumana!. I love having goat cheese with warm tomato sauce so I know this is going to taste great!

  17. TheKitchenWitch says:

    That looks incredibly comforting!

  18. Hélène (Cannes) says:

    Il a l’air superbement onctueux … Moi, hier, je suis allée manger libanais juste avant le feu d’Artifices du 14 Juillet. Que c’était bon !
    Bisous
    Hélène

  19. Oui, Chef says:

    I love a good risotto and this one sounds brilliant! Can’t wait for our local tomatoes to ripen a bit more so I can enjoy this lovely thing. – S

  20. Maria @ Scandifoodie says:

    I adooore goat cheese – this sounds just perfect!

  21. domi says:

    Goûteux avec un superbe visuel…

  22. Peter says:

    This works for me as I like the contrast of sweet tomatoes vs. tart goat cheese. A rustic dish bound to please many.

  23. Caffettiera says:

    I often make risotto in two stages – whenever I have guests, I start toasting the rice and adding the vegetables, and then leave the final 10-15 minutes of cooking to when people have arrived. Nobody ever noticed 🙂

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