Creamy tomato risotto with mozzarella and fresh basil makes and impressive and delicious dish! Rich and creamy parmesan risotto with roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
ROAST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss tomatoes with oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a parchment lined baking sheet for about 45 minutes, until soft and blistered.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste
SIMMER: Heat up broth in a small saucepan to a low simmer.
6-7 cups vegetable broth
SAUTÉ: In a large saucepan heated over medium-low heat, add olive oil and sauté onions for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add in garlic and cook while stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
DEGLAZE: Deglaze onions and garlic with white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Cook for a few minutes until alcohol has burned off.
½ cup dry white wine
TOAST: Add in the dry risotto and lightly toast in the pan for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
1 ½ cups arborio rice
POUR AND STIR: Turn heat to low. Add in warmed broth to saucepan ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently. Cook until liquid has absorbed before adding the next ½ cup of broth. Each ½ cup should take about 5 minutes to absorb, about 45-60 minutes total. Adjust your heat if it is going too quickly or slowly. The final texture of risotto should be slightly chewy, not mushy. It should be creamy, slightly runny, and spread out when plated. I however like my risotto thicker, so I reduce it a little more.
FINISH: When all the liquid has been absorbed, stir in parmesan cheese and butter and mix until combined. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Top with roasted tomatoes, mozzarella balls, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Don’t use pre-grated parmesan cheese. It's better to measure parmesan cheese by weight (with a kitchen scale) rather than volume. One ounce (or 28 grams) of very finely grated parmesan cheese should yield around 1 cup, whereas one ounce of coarsely ground or grated parmesan cheese would only yield about ¼ cup, so the final volume does not equal weight.
Risotto is still crunchy: Add more broth and cook longer, while stirring, until risotto softens up.
Risotto is too runny: Allow the risotto to simmer for a few more minutes while stirring.
Risotto is too thick: Add more broth and stir to combine.
Risotto is too mushy: There isn't a way to fix this. Next time try stirring less often and cooking slightly faster.
How to store leftovers: Store leftover caprese risotto in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store mozzarella and basil separately.
How to freeze: I don’t recommend freezing risotto.
How to reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave, without the mozzarella and basil. I prefer heating risotto in a skillet with more broth to help loosen it up.