Go International: Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella

by Valorie Delp | More from this Blogger

04 Jun 2008 11:52 AM

Risotto, in my manner of speaking is just a fancy word for Italian rice. It is a specific type of rice, and is a staple in Milanese cuisine. Properly cooked risotto generally involves cooking the rice slightly in olive oil, and then adding broth very slowly. When cooked properly, the dish should show case the rich creaminess of the rice's starches but should also have the texture of al dente for each individual grain. I don't think risotto is traditionally served with salads, but in my opinion, this is the perfect dish to serve as a side to salad. In any case, you don't want to serve it with pasta--in an Italian risotto dish--this is the "pasta" element.

To make this dish you will need:

5 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer. (Hint: put a cover over the stock pot to heat it up faster.)

While the stock is heating, drain the sun-dried tomatoes and reserve the oil. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and set them aside.

In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons of oil from the tomatoes, add onion and saute until translucent; about 6 minutes. Add rice to the frying pan and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains; about 1 minute.

Spoon a ladleful of vegetable stock into the frying pan and cook the mixture on low until all the stock is absorbed; about 2 minutes.

Continue adding the stock, a ladleful at a time until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Add the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil from the tomatoes, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and serve.

Other Recipes You Might Want to Try:

Risotto Parmigiano

Pumpkin Risotto

Risotto Porcini Bake

Mushroom Risotto

Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.

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Learn more about Valorie Delp

Hello everybody! My name is Valorie and I am one busy lady! When I'm not writing or editing for families, I am busy trying to get my brood of 5 in line.

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