Imagine a bowl of creamy risotto, with little pockets of melted mozzarella cheese, sweet and juicy roasted tomatoes and toasted pine nuts, all drizzled with ultra-garlic fresh pesto… well, that’s what you get in this Caprese Risotto.
It is. is irresistible
If you’ve ever had caprese salad, you’ll know it’s the mother of all salads. Made with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil, it’s all killer, no filler.
This easy homemade risotto uses the same classic flavor combination (hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), but with creamy, garlicky risotto rice.
Unlike a cold caprese salad, this risotto has mozzarella that’s melty and gooey; roasted tomatoes that create little pockets of juicy goodness; And fresh basil reimagined as a garlic pesto drizzle.
It’s Italy in a bowl. And it’s incredible.
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❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Tomato, basil and mozzarella cheese is a classic flavor combination for a reason – they go perfectly together!
- This recipe is easy to make, but tastes spectacular.
- It’s great eaten out of a bowl, curled up on the sofa with a blanket, or served to guests at a fancy dinner party – or something in between!
- Risotto reheats beautifully, so you can prepare it in advance and reheat it if needed.
🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
- Arborio rice The most commonly used rice for risotto, but other short-grain varieties can work too – see here for a list.
- Cherry tomatoes. It’s worth paying a little more for good quality tomatoes, because it really makes a difference!
- Mozzarella cheese. Fresh stuff, which comes in a ball, is best, but you can use grated mozzarella if needed.
- Basil Pesto. It’s 100% worth buying fresh pesto for this risotto, which is refrigerated instead of the stuff that comes in a jar. It tastes much fresher and more vibrant.
- pine nuts – You can use them as they arrive, but toasting them (as detailed in the recipe) makes them significantly tastier.
- Vegetable extract. I used a stock cube, but liquid or jelly stock is fine too.
- onion (any type)
- garlic
See printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient amounts.
👌 Top tip
If you can’t find good quality fresh pesto, homemade pesto in this recipe would also be incredible! Simply blitz fresh basil with garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. You can find instructions for my favorite homemade pesto recipe in this potato salad recipe.
🔪 Tools
I always use my giant wok to make risotto. It’s not a traditional risotto pan by any means, but I find it works perfectly for the job.
Its wide top and deep sides allow you to make a pretty big batch of risotto at once (because it’s always worth making enough for leftovers!), and it means you have room to stir really thoroughly without any splashes or spills.
There are all kinds of woks on the market, but I like to use a large (30cm / 12 inch) wok with a non-stick coating, like the one on Amazon US/Amazon UK.
📋 Instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Fry some finely chopped onions and garlic until they become translucent and fill your room with an incredible aroma.
Step 2: Add the risotto rice and mix well.
👌 Top tip
To add more flavor to the rice, let it toast in the pan for a few minutes before you add any liquid. Make sure you stir regularly to prevent sticking or burning!
Step 3: Begin adding the vegetable stock a splash at a time, allowing most of the stock to be absorbed before adding more. You don’t have to be too specific about things. Stirring constantly is great, but it’s also fine if you stir every minute or two.
As you continue to add the stock, the rice will puff up and become soft and creamy.
Step 4: While the rice is cooking, roast some cherry tomatoes until they are juicy and sweet. They look nice left on the vine, but aren’t necessary.
Step 5: When the risotto is almost ready, toast some pine nuts in a dry frying pan. They only take a few minutes, and once they start to brown, they can burn quickly – so keep an eye on them and shake the pan regularly to help them brown evenly.
When the nuts are toasted to your liking, remove them from the pan immediately so they don’t burn.
Step 6: Combine the creamy risotto with roasted tomatoes, shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh pesto and lots of black pepper. I like to keep some ingredients to use as a topping.
Step 7: Serve caprese risotto topped with toasted pine nuts, and remaining pesto and roasted tomatoes.
💭 Risotto FAQs
Yes! Risotto is a great meal prep option, as it reheats beautifully in the microwave or pan. You can add a little more liquid as you reheat it if necessary, otherwise it sometimes gets a little hard.
If you are making this caprese risotto in advance, I would cook only the ‘normal’ part of the risotto, then add the mozzarella, tomatoes, etc. after reheating just before serving. This allows you to retain those little pockets of gooey cheese and juicy tomatoes!
Risotto can be frozen in an air-tight tub for up to 3 months. Heat thoroughly in a pan in the microwave or on the stovetop. Again, you can add a splash more liquid to loosen it up if needed.
I always favor adding extra veggies! This recipe uses the traditional ingredients of a caprese salad, but there’s no reason you can’t add a few extra ingredients as well. Along with onions, you can easily add mushrooms, courgettes, peppers, etc.
All ingredients in this caprese risotto are naturally gluten-free. However, there is a risk of cross-contamination with some types of risotto rice, so if necessary, make sure you choose one specifically labeled as gluten-free. Make sure you choose a gluten-free vegetable stock.
🍚 More risotto recipes
📖 Printable Recipes
Caprese Risotto (Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil)
A creamy risotto with little pockets of melted mozzarella cheese, juicy roasted tomatoes and toasted pine nuts, all drizzled with garlic basil pesto.
If you cook this recipe, don’t forget to give a star rating!
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Serving: 6 people
Calories: 603kcal
instructions
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Heat most of the oil in a large pan or wok and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and translucent.
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Add the arborio rice and mix well to combine. If you want, you can cook it for a minute or two, stirring regularly, to lightly toast the rice.
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Add a good splash of vegetable stock, and mix well. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir regularly. Allow most of the stock to be absorbed by the rice before adding a little more. You don’t need to be very precise – I usually add 1-2 cups at a time.
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While the rice is cooking, fry the tomatoes. Add them to a baking dish, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little more oil. Roast at 190°C (gas mark 5 / 375°F) for about 25 minutes, or until they are soft and juicy.
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While the rice is cooking you need to toast the pine nuts. Add them to a dry frying pan on a medium heat and cook until golden brown. Once they start to brown, they can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them and shake the pan regularly to help them cook evenly. When they are browned to your liking, remove them from the pan to stop them browning further.
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Continue adding the vegetable stock to the risotto until the rice is tender – this usually takes about 30-40 minutes or so. I used about 1.75 liters of liquid (~ 7 cups), but this may vary slightly.
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Add mozzarella cheese slices to the risotto along with half the roasted tomatoes, half the basil pesto and plenty of black pepper. Stir gently to combine, until the mozzarella melts, creating little pockets of gooey cheese throughout the risotto. Serve topped with remaining roasted tomatoes and toasted pine nuts and drizzled with remaining pesto.
nutrition
Worship: 1 the part – Calories: 603 kcal – Sugars: 70.8 g – Protein: 14.7 g – Fat: 26.4 g – Saturated Fat: 7.6 g – Cholesterol: 35 mg – Sodium: 472 mg – Potassium: 224 mg – Fiber: 3.8 g – Sugar: 2.3 g – Calcium: 147 mg – Iron: 2 mg
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if your health requires accuracy.
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