Service for 4

5 roasted tomatoes
2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 onion diced
1/2 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan Cheese
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
5 T butter (or more...)
4 Thyme Sprigs
salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

Roast the tomatoes according to the Recipe : How to Roast Tomatoes

Put stock in a medium saucepan over low heat. You will need heated stock for the risotto. Put oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a deep nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add onion, stirring occasionally until it softens, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let the onion brown. Add the rice and stir ocassionally until the rice turns slightly opaque. Then add the white wine and cook till the wine evaporates. Add a pinch of salt. Add half of the roasted tomatoes and stir in.

Then add chicken stock to completely cover the rice.

NOTE: It is very important that the chicken stock is kept on a low simmer in another pot. Do not add cold stock to the risotto. You will find that the texture of the risotto will be inferior.

Cook and stir ocassionally till stock has just evaporated, then add more stock. Repeat this cycle ... until rice is cooked.

It should take about 20 minutes for the rice to completely cook. However start tasting after 15 minutes. At about 18 minutes add the rest of the roasted tomatoes.

Off the heat stir in butter and parmesan cheese.

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.

Add more Parmesan cheese at the table if needed.

NOTES; It may be better to remove the onion after the saute and return after adding wine since onion can burn while the rice is fried.

See a video of Mario Batali making risotto