This creamy tomato risotto is perfect to make for a date night at home or on the weekend when you want a restaurant-quality dish you can make yourself!

a bowl of tomato risotto topped with roasted tomatoes

This recipe is in partnership with Watkins and Pomi tomatoes.

What is risotto?

Risotto is a rice-based dish that originated in Northern Italy.

It’s made by cooking arborio rice in broth until it’s smooth and creamy. Risotto is a dish that takes time and care to prepare properly, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to make.

This tomato risotto recipe is easy to make and is made with high-quality ingredients including Watkins organic spices, and Pomi Italian strained tomatoes. These ingredients really help to elevate the dish and make it taste authentic and as good as any restaurant!

Why you’ll love this Tomato Risotto

  • Perfect for date night. Looking for a fun date night dinner to make at home? This tomato risotto is it! Put on your favourite playlist, pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy preparing this meal for a perfect at-home date.
  • Easy to make. Many people think risotto is difficult to make, but the truth is it’s actually very simple. It just tastes a bit of time to prepare.
  • Tastes better than a restaurant. Trust me, once you learn how to make this risotto at home you’ll never need to order risotto in a restaurant again!

Best rice for risotto

You may be wondering if you can use any rice you have sitting in your pantry to make risotto, and the answer is unfortunately no.

Risotto requires a special short-grain starchy rice known as arborio rice. It’s important to use this type of rice as this is what creates a smooth and creamy risotto. If you try to use another type of rice such as basmati rice or jasmine rice, you won’t end up with a creamy risotto.

If you can’t find arborio rice, there are a couple of other starchy short-grain types of rice you can use. These are Carnaroli rice and Vialone Nano rice.

Tomato Risotto ingredients

Ingredients for tomato risotto
  • Butter: This is used to lightly saute the shallots and garlic in the pot. You can also use olive oil.
  • Shallots: shallots are delicious in risotto and are less sharp and give a softer taste than onions.
  • Garlic: fresh garlic for risotto is a must to build flavour.
  • Arborio rice: this type of rice is specially made for risotto. It’s very starchy and becomes super creamy when cooked
  • Watkins Organic Onion Powder: this onion powder adds a subtle but delicious flavour that elevates the risotto.
  • Watkins Organic Ground Black Pepper: the ground pepper pairs perfectly with the parmesan cheese and give a touch of heat to the dish.
  • Pomi Strained Tomatoes: these strained Italian tomatoes are a must for an authentic-tasting risotto.
  • Vegetable stock: you can also substitute with chicken stock for a non-vegetarian version.
  • Lemon: a small squeeze of lemon helps to balance out the flavours of the dish.
  • Parmesan cheese: this is a must for risotto! Use good quality parmesan cheese for the best results.
  • Cherry tomatoes: these are optional, but are delicious roasted and added on top of the risotto.

How to make tomato Risotto

Step 1

Add the butter to a large pot on medium heat, then add the shallots and garlic and lightly sautee. Next, add the rice and spices and cook for a couple of minutes to lightly toast the rice.

  • shallots and garlic in a blue pot
  • arborio rice and spices in a blue pot

Step 2

Add in the heated vegetable stock, about 1/3 of a cup at a time, mixing until the stock is completely absorbed. Once you’ve used up about half of the stock, add in the strained tomatoes and mix. Then continue to add the vegetable stock until the rice is cooked through.

  • a measuring cup pouring vegetable stock into a pot of rice
  • arborio rice and strained tomatoes in a blue pot

Step 3

Stir in the parmesan cheese. The texture of the risotto should be loose, so if you run a spoon through it, it should slowly seep back together.

  • tomato risotto, parmesan cheese and basil in a blue pot
  • tomato risotto in a blue pot

Step 4

If you’d like to garnish the risotto with roasted tomatoes, roast the cherry tomatoes in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

  • two bowls of tomato risotto with strained tomatoes on the side
  • three bowls of tomato risotto with onion powder on the side

How to store and reheat leftovers

Store leftover risotto in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the risotto on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may want to add a splash of water to the risotto when reheating to help the rice loosen up.

Expert tips for making risotto

  • Use the right type of rice. You want to use arborio rice when making risotto for the best results. Don’t try to make this recipe with any type of rice you have in your pantry.
  • Use a large pot. The risotto will expand quite a bit as it cooks, so use a large pot to keep your stove mess-free.
  • Don’t forget to heat the vegetable stock. This is a key step for making risotto that helps to cook the rice. You don’t want to add cold stock to the pot.
  • Be patient. This is important when making risotto in order to achieve the right texture. Don’t try to rush the process by adding too much vegetable stock at a time. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mushy risotto that isn’t creamy.
  • Season to taste. If you find the risotto needs more salt, pepper or anything else, go ahead and add more. (This might depend on how salty your vegetable stock is.)

Risotto FAQ

What goes well with tomato risotto?

There are many ways you can serve this tomato risotto! If you’d like to add some protein to the dish, try serving it with some scallops or grilled shrimp. If you want to add some greens, serve this risotto with roasted asparagus or rapini.

What is the secret to a good risotto?

The secret to a good risotto is not rushing the process! It’s important to cook risotto slowly in order to it to become smooth and creamy.

Can risotto be made ahead of time and reheated?

If you want to prepare risotto ahead of time, it’s best to slightly undercook the risotto and then finish cooking it when you would like to reheat and serve it. Otherwise, the risotto can become too soft and mushy.

three bowls of tomato risotto topped with roasted tomatoes and basil

Try these delicious recipes next!

If you tried this Tomato Risotto or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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a bowl of tomato risotto topped with roasted tomatoes

Tomato Risotto

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  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

A delicious tomato risotto that is perfect for a date night at home!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tbsp butter (can sub olive oil)
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped (approx 1/2 cup chopped)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp Watkins organic onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp Watkins organic ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Pomi Strained Tomatoes
  • 4–5 cups vegetable stock, heated* (see note)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes to top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the butter in the pot on medium heat, then add the shallots and garlic and let cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Add the rice, salt, ground black pepper and onion powder and stir everything together, let cook for another 1-2 minutes so the rice toasts slightly.
  3. Slowly add the broth, 1/3 cup at a time, stirring frequently until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more broth. Repeat until you’ve added 3 cups of broth.
  4. Add the strained tomatoes and lemon juice and mix to incorporate.
  5. Then continue to add the remaining broth until the rice is cooked to al dente. (cook through with a slight bite to it.)
  6. Add the parmesan cheese and stir together. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
  7. If you’d like to add roasted cherry tomatoes to garnish, lightly coat the tomatoes in oil place them on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Notes

*It’s important to use hot stock to make risotto in order to properly cook the rice. Boil the stock in a pot or in the microwave before using it in the recipe.

Add more or less stock if needed to cook the risotto.

The texture of the risotto shouldn’t be too thick. You should be able to run a spoon through it and the risotto seeps back together.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
  • Calories: 350
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Fat: 11g
  • Carbohydrates: 48g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 10g