Cherry Tomato Risotto
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
A friend told me recently that no one in her family liked to go out to the garden to pick cherry tomatoes because it took too much time to pick enough for a salad. I always imagined her son Scott standing out there eating his fill of cherry tomatoes, then picking a couple bigger ones for the salad and announcing to his mom (tomato seeds stuck in his teeth) that there weren’t any ripe cherry tomatoes. I discovered my husband does the same thing—more eating than picking. I can’t really blame him though: tomatoes are delicious straight from the plant. Now that it is getting colder at night my plants aren’t producing as much fruit, but yesterday there were still enough tomatoes left to make the recipe below. I like using a combination of different colored tomatoes, giving the risotto chunks of orange, red, and gold throughout. You can swap out the tomatoes for corn if you want. The instant pot makes this meal almost as quickly as my husband eats cherry tomatoes, and it is packed with flavor.
NOTE: This recipe is for a 3- quart Instant Pot. You can easily double it for a larger model.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic
1 cup arborio rice
1 pint of cherry tomatoes stemmed and halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, basil, rosemary, or chives or a combination
1 ½ cups stock (chicken or vegetable), or water
2 tablespoons dry white wine, dry vermouth, or dry sherry
2/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE. Add oil, diced onion, and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains. Hit CANCEL. Add the tomatoes, salt, herbs, stock, and wine; stir to combine. Secure the lid, close the pressure-release valve. Press MANUAL and set timer for 7 minutes. Quick release valve and then taste the rice. Depending on the age of your rice it might need a bit of adjusting. I like my risotto creamy. If it is still a bit too al dente, then turn on the SAUTE setting and add a bit more liquid, stirring while you do. If it is still a bit wet, then let it sit a minute or two in the warm pan and it will absorb more of the liquid. Once you get the rice the way you like it, stir in the cheese and butter. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander