1 lb whole baby plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
about 1 qt hot vegetable broth
2 cups passata (italian pureed, strained tomatoes)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
8 pieces sun-dried tomatoes (not the ones in oil), chopped
2 cups risotto rice
2/3 cup light red wine
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

put the plum tomatoes in a roasting pan and pour the olive oil over them. mix well to coat and season with salt and pepper. roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until slightly collapsed and the skins are beginning to brown. remove from the oven and set aside.

pour the broth and passata into a saucepan, stir well,then heat to a gentle simmer. melt half the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and add the onion and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. cook gently for 10 minutes until soft, golden, and translucent but not browned. add the rice and stir until well coated with the butter and heated through. pour in the wine and boil hard until it has reduced and almost disappeared. this will remove the taste of raw alcohol. remove from the heat.

return the risotto to the heat, warm through, then begin adding the broth, a large ladle at a time, stirring gently until each ladle has almost been absorbed by the rice. the risotto shoudl be kept at a bare simmer throughout cooking, so don’t let the rice dry out – add more broth as necessary. continue until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm (15-20 minutes depending on the type of rice used – check package instructions).

season to taste with salt and pepper and beat in the remaining butter, the parmesan, and chopped basil. you may like to add a little more hot brroth to the risotto at this stage to loosen it – it should be quite wet. cover and let rest for a couple of minutes so the risotto can relax and the cheese melt. carefully ladle into warm bowls and cover the surface with the roasted tomatoes and any juices. add the basil leaves and serve immediately with extra freshly grated parmesan cheese.

serves 4

about 6 cups hot vegetable broth
1 stick unsalted butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups risotto rice (i use arborio)
2/3 cup white wine
1 lb baby plum tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
8 oz young fresh spinach leaves, washed and drained
2 cups fresh arugula leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese, to serve

put the broth in a saucepan and keep at a gentle simmer. melt half the butter in a large, heavy saucepan and add the onion. cook gently for 10 minutes until soft, golden, and translucent but not browned. add the rice and stir until well coated with the butter and heated through. pour in the wine and boil hard to reduce until it has almost disappeared. this will remove the taste of raw alcohol. remove from the heat.

put the tomatoes in a roasting pan and sprinkle with olive oil. mix well to coat, then season with salt and pepper. roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until slightly colllapsed with the skins beginning to brown. remove from the oven and set aside.

return the risotto to the heat, warm through, and begin adding the broth, a large ladle at a time, stirring gently until each ladle has been almost absorbed into the rice. the risotto should be kept at a bare simmer throughout cooking, so don’t let the rice dry out – add more broth as necessary. continue until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm. (this should take between 15-20 minutes depending on the type of rice used – check the package instructions.) just before the risotto is cooked, stir in the spinach and arugula. taste and season with salt and pepper, then beat in the remaining butter and parmesan. you may like to add a little more hot broth at this stage to loosen the risotto.

cover and let rest for a couple of minutes so the risotto can relax, the cheese melt, and the spinach and arugula wilt. fold in the tomatoes and their juices, then serve immediately.

serves 4