Ingredients
For the roasted tomatoes:
- 700 g tomatoes
- 1 dessertspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 fat clove garlic chopped
- 1 x 15 g pack basil leaves
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
For the risotto:
- 2 level teaspoons sun-dried tomato paste
- 110 g sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 25 g butter
- 1 red onion finely chopped
- 225 g Italian carnaroli rice
- 1/2 level teaspoon saffron stamens
- 275 ml dry white wine
- 50 g Parmesan freshly grated
- 1 tbsp double cream
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
Instructions
Slice each tomato in half and arrange the halves on the roasting tray, cut side uppermost, then season with salt and pepper, sprinkle a few droplets of olive oil on each one, followed by the chopped garlic, then finally top each one with half a basil leaf dipped in oil first to get a good coating. Now pop the whole lot into the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened.
Put the tomatoes and all their juices into a processor and blend.
Reduce the oven temperature to 180C
Melt the butter in a large casserole and fry the onion for about 7 minutes until it is just tinged brown at the edges.
Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains with the buttery juices.
Crush the saffron stamens to a powder with a pestle and mortar, then add this to the rice, together with the wine. Bring it up to boiling point, let it bubble for a minute then add the tomato paste and 330 ml boiling water.
Give it all a good stir, season with salt and pepper and then add all the processed tomato mixture plus the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir again and bring it just up to simmering point, then transfer the whole lot to the oven and, using a timer, give it 35 minutes.
Stir in the grated Parmesan and give it another 5-10 minutes
Just before serving, stir in the crearn and top each portion with shavings of Parmesan and any leftover basil leaves.