Description
This Tomato Risotto recipe offers a rich, creamy dish featuring roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes blended into smooth sauces, combined with creamy goat cheese and aged Parmigiano Reggiano. The dish is finished with crispy eggplant skin and fresh basil, creating a fragrant and comforting Italian-inspired meal perfect for a special dinner.
Ingredients
Risotto
- 0.9 cup Carnaroli rice
- 1 ½ tbsp Butter
- 0.1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese, grated
- Vegetable broth, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 medium Eggplant
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove Garlic
- Basil, to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Goat Cheese Cream
- 1.8 oz Fresh goat cheese
- 1.7 tbsp Milk
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables for roasting: On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the whole eggplant and the cherry tomatoes. Add the garlic clove and fresh basil leaves on top.
- Season and bake: Drizzle the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, then bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 356°F for 20 minutes.
- Blend tomato sauce and continue roasting eggplant: Remove the garlic after baking. Take the roasted tomatoes and blend them until smooth and homogeneous to create a tomato sauce. Return the eggplant to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until very soft.
- Prepare eggplant cream: Once cooked, separate the eggplant skin from the pulp. Coarsely chop the pulp, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then blend until smooth to create an eggplant cream.
- Dry eggplant skin: Arrange the eggplant skin on a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry it in a static oven at 338°F for about 10 minutes until it becomes crispy.
- Make goat cheese cream: In a bowl, whisk the fresh goat cheese with milk until a smooth, pourable cream forms. Add more milk if needed to achieve desired consistency.
- Cook the risotto: Toast the Carnaroli rice dry in a pan, seasoning with salt. Gradually add vegetable broth and cook until the rice is nearly done.
- Finish risotto: In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the eggplant cream. Remove from heat and incorporate butter and grated Parmigiano Reggiano for richness.
- Plate and garnish: Serve the risotto topped with the tomato cream, goat cheese cream, crumbled crispy eggplant skin, and fresh basil leaves.
Notes
- Ensure the oven is preheated properly for even roasting of vegetables.
- Adjust consistency of goat cheese cream by adding milk gradually.
- Use a fan oven for roasting and a static oven for drying the eggplant skin for best texture results.
- This risotto is best served fresh and hot to enjoy the creamy texture and contrasting crispy garnish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian