Of the countless times I have made risotto and I have never made anything quite close to this creamy tomato risotto with crispy garlic crumbs. My family gave this one five stars and the thumbs up to be added to our repeat list. Like all risottos, they’re simple and easy to make, however they are labor intensive. You will have to stand for a while and keep stirring it so that the rice evenly absorbs the liquids and also to avoid it from sticking/burning at the bottom of the pot. The crispy garlic crumbs rounds the texture out in this dish and surely you’ll want more of it. Feel free to grill some chicken and slice/toast a warm and crusty baguette to enjoy with this divine creamy tomato risotto with crispy garlic crumbs, soon!
Creamy Tomato Risotto with Crispy Garlic Crumbs
Ingredients
Risotto
- 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp tomato puree/paste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion – peeled and finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
- 1.5 cups Arborio rice
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Good pinch of salt and black pepper
Crispy Garlic Crumbs
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp Maldon salt – or just a good pinch of normal salt
- 2 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
- 4 tbsp (30g/1 oz) panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp (20g) parmesan – (or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese if you want it vegetarian)
Prepare
Risotto
- Heat oil in a large pan, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to go translucent, add in the garlic, stir and cook for a further minute.
- Add in the rice and stir until the oil has coated the rice. Add in the wine and stir.
- Wait for the wine to almost fully absorb (stirring regularly) and then add the crushed tomatoes ensuring each ladle has almost fully absorbed before adding the next. Ensure you stir regularly.
- Keep adding each cup of chicken stock as the risotto looses it’s moisture. Repeat until all of the stock has been used.
- Towards the end the risotto should be softer, but still have a bit of a bite to it (it will soften up further when you add the cream). If the rice is still too hard, you can add in a ladle or so of water. Turn the heat down to very low.
Garlic Crumbs
- Next make your crispy garlic crumbs. Heat the butter in a small frying pan until it starts to foam slightly.
- Add the salt and the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add in the breadcrumbs and stir to ensure the butter covers all of the breadcrumbs. Allow to cook until the breadcrumbs start to brown a little, stirring often. Keep a close eye on them as they burn very easily. When ready, turn off the heat and add in the parsley, and parmesan.
- Now, go back to your risotto. Add in the cream, parmesan, lemon juice and salt & pepper. Finally, give everything a good stir, whilst on the heat, and then serve topped with the crispy breadcrumbs.
