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Risotto Caprese with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil (Gennaro Contaldo)

July 30, 2018

Ever since my trip to the Po Valley with Riso Gallo to understand more about how rice and other grains are produced in Italy, I have been obsessed with perfecting my risotto-making technique. During our visit, we ate in some truly memorable restaurants, sampling different grains and flavours of risotto, a particular highlight being a very simple aged-risotto grain, cooked with olive oil, butter and Parmesan cheese and adored with spring truffles.

Since then, making a risotto has become a weekly activity – in part prompted by the fact that all three of our children unanimously love risotto and so it’s one of the few meals that doesn’t have to be messed around with. It’s also a great, store-cupboard staple recipe. There are plenty of recipes here that you can make at home.

Of all the risotto recipe I have tried, this one, found in Gennaro Contaldo’s Fast Cook Italian is our winner – it is a Risotto Caprese – based on the flavours of the classic Caprese Salad of Tomato, Mozarella and Basil.

Contrary to the popular belief that making a risotto is time-consuming and labour intensive, you can have dinner on the table in around 25 minutes with this recipe.

I love the fact that Gennaro’s recipes are always easy to throw together and very family friendly.

Published with the permission of Pavilion Books.

Risotto Caprese - Risotto with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil

5 votes

Print

Risotto Caprese - Risotto with Tomato, Mozarella and Basil

Cook 30 mins

Total 30 mins

Author Gennaro Contaldo

Yield 4

The ingredients for this risotto are taken from the classic Caprese salad – tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Simple to make and extremely tasty, it’s often my go-to midweek meal for the family - Gennaro Contaldo 

 

Ingredients

  • 40 g/1½ oz/2 generous tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 handfuls of basil leaves
  • 260 g/9¼ oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 320 g/11¼ oz/1¾ cups risotto (Arborio) rice
  • 100 ml/3½ fl oz/7 tbsp white wine
  • 1.5 litres/52 fl oz/6½ cups hot vegetable stock (bouillon)
  • 200 g/7 oz mozzarella, cut into small cubes
  • 30 g/1 oz/1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • Cost of singulair at costco
  • Cost of aggrenox

Instructions

  1. Heat 20 g/¾ oz/1 generous tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and a couple of the basil leaves and sweat for 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes and continue to sweat for 1 minute. Stir in the rice, making sure each grain is coated in oil. Add the wine and cook until the rice has absorbed it.
  3. Then add a couple of ladles of hot stock, stirring with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed it all. Add a couple more ladles of stock and continue to cook in this way, stirring and adding more stock, for 17–20 minutes, until the risotto is cooked al dente.
  4. Remove from the heat and add the remaining butter and mozzarella, stirring well until it has nicely melted into the risotto.
  5. Stir in the grated Parmesan and remaining basil leaves and serve immediately.

Courses Main

Cuisine Italian

Photography Kim Lightbody. 

Gennaro’s Fast Cook Italian 

From Fridge to fork in 40 minutes or less

ISBN: 9781911595113

Price: £20.00

Publication date: 5 April 2018

Fast Cook Italian Gennaro COntaldo

Other risotto posts you may like:

Quick Risotto-Stuffed Vegetables 

3 Grains: Rice, Spelt and Barley Risotto with Chicken and Dill 

Sausage and Courgette Risotto  

Filed Under: Family Food, Lockdown, Recipe, Vegetarian6 Comments

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About Ren

Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to three young children (13, 10 and 5) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications, such as Food52.com, GreatBritishChefs.com, Huff Post Food and JamieOliver.com. She holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine.

Ren’s cookbook, Wild Honey and Rye: Modern Polish Recipes, draws upon her Polish heritage and regular travels to Poland.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Josie Poolook says

    June 16, 2021 at 11:07 am

    These look like my next dinner!!!!
    Thanks, Ren!

    Reply
  2. Pizza and Pasta Hut says

    March 15, 2021 at 9:17 am

    Thanks for sharing…Checkout my profile by for Fast food south west London Wimbledon

    Reply
  3. 7 Stars Cash & Carry says

    March 15, 2021 at 9:17 am

    Thanks for sharing…Checkout my profile for Soft Drink Supplier in London

    Reply
  4. tobie hall says

    January 4, 2021 at 11:55 pm

    So delicious even my husband ate it and there was no meat in it! haha he loved it too.

    Reply
  5. JC Peles says

    March 9, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    Really not into mozarella so I thought I’d just take a quick look but I ended up checking everything. I had tried cooking similar stuff before and that online delivery service, Feast Box, really helped me out try some ingredients that are hard to find like some listed above. Anyway, will forward this page to a couple of friends who are starting to get fond of cooking!

    Reply

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