Confit Tomato Risotto

Risotto is one of my favorite sides as it accompanies just about any meat or fish. It’s a flexible dish. It only takes a few simple ingredients that can be kept on hand in the pantry, and I like adding a variety of vegetables for a seasonal twist.

This version is filled with cherry tomatoes and garlic slowly simmered in olive oil. As the tomatoes cook and break down, the oil is similarly flavored. The result is a rich, creamy risotto filled with umami-flavored confit tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and mellow garlic flavor.

Confit Tomato Risotto

What’s So Great About Tomato Confit?

As the tomatoes slowly simmer in the sauce, they break down and flavor the oil as well. While I like making these confit tomatoes on the stovetop in a pan, it can just as easily be made in the oven. Simply add all ingredients to a large baking dish and bake at 325ºF until the tomatoes are burst and bubbling. Some people blanch the tomatoes first to remove the skins, but I like the texture they add (plus it’s easier!).

Key Ingredients for This Recipe

• Cherry tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes are a small, juicy variety of tomato with a thicker skin. They are much sweeter than other varieties of tomatoes. As they simmer they break down and flavor the oil. Grape tomatoes can also be used in this recipe.
• Garlic –  I always buy garlic bulbs and keep a bunch in my kitchen at all times.
• Rice – Arborio rice is the most commonly used rice for making risotto. It’s an Italian short-grain, white rice with a high starch content. It can be substituted with other starchy short-grain varieties like Carnaroli or Vialone Nano if desired though Arborio is the most accessible. Don’t rinse risotto rice before cooking as you would when preparing long-grain varieties. You don’t want to lose any of that starch!
• Chicken stock – Chicken stock is typically made from chicken bones as well as aromatics and vegetables while chicken broth is made with the meat. How does that affect their flavor? Chicken stock has a much richer, more robust flavor which comes from the collagen released from the simmering bones. On the other hand, chicken broth is much more mellow in flavor. I typically use chicken stock when cooking. In a pinch the chicken stock can be substituted with water though it takes away some of the flavor.

How to Make Confit Tomato Risotto

1. Make the confit tomatoes. In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are tender and start to fall apart, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper then stir in the anchovies and set aside.
2. Toast the rice. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, spoon 2 tablespoons of the confit tomato olive oil mixture and heat through. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently until toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the wine. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the white wine and stir constantly until the wine is almost completely absorbed.
4. Cook the risotto. Add the stock ¼ cup at a time, stirring frequently and waiting for each addition to be almost completely absorbed before adding additional stock. The mixture should be at a simmer the whole time. Continue this process until the risotto is creamy and al dente, about 20 minutes.
5. Combine and serve. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until completely combined then stir in the oregano and tomato mixture.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

• To make a successful risotto, there are a few simple tips to take into consideration. The first is to warm the stock – this keeps the risotto warm, rather than cooling it down every time stock is added.
• The second is to stir the risotto frequently; the creaminess of risotto comes from the starch released when the grains of rice are agitated.
• The stock is added slowly and not all at once so that the rice is not simply boiled.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Confit Tomato Pizza with Burrata
• Homemade Spaghetti with Confit Cherry Tomatoes, Burrata and Basil
• Cherry Tomato “Naked Bruschetta” Crostini

Confit Tomato Risotto

Print Pin

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground pepper, as needed
• 4 anchovies, diced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock, warmed
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano

Instructions:

• In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil and heat through. Add the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are tender and start to fall apart, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper then stir in the anchovies and set aside.
• Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, spoon 2 tablespoons of the confit tomato olive oil mixture and heat through. Add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently until toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium-low and add the white wine and stir constantly until the wine is almost completely absorbed.
• Add the stock ¼ cup at a time, stirring frequently and waiting for each addition to be almost completely absorbed before adding additional stock. The mixture should be at a simmer the whole time. Continue this process until the risotto is creamy and al dente, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the Parmesan cheese until completely combined then stir in the oregano and tomato mixture.

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