I made rice pudding the other day, and bought a new box of arborio rice for it. But obviously, because I’m an idiot and I forgot to check my cupboards beforehand, I already had a full box in the kitchen. Risotto was definitely on the cards! You can make risotto in just about any flavour you can think of – this time I made ratatouille risotto, chock-full of veggies.
Risotto is really easy to make. I think it sometimes has a bad reputation for being labour intensive and taking a long time, but really it’s pretty straightforward. Sure, it does take a little while to get the rice nice and soft and creamy, but you don’t actually have to stir constantly if you have something better to do (it’s probably some kind of cooking blasphemy to say that, but really, who’s got the time – or stamina – to stir non-stop for 40 minutes? Just stirring every few minutes while you potter around in the kitchen is totally fine).
This ratatouille risotto starts with aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), mushrooms, and peppers, all cooked up together with a whoops-my-hand-slipped amount of oregano, and plenty of garlic for good measure. I could pretty much just eat the vegetable mixture on its own, but it’s even better if you resist long enough to add the rich, tomatoey rice.
I usually add a good handful of grated cheese to my risotto, but continuing with my aim to not always add cheese to everything (just most things), I decided to keep my risotto vegan this time. You can definitely add some cheese if you like, but arborio rice gets nice and creamy on its own anyway, so it’s not vital. The veggies, tomato puree and a dollop of pesto make this ratatouille risotto plenty rich enough without it.
Now to find a way to use up the other seven boxes of arborio rice that I almost certainly have in my kitchen cupboards…
Ratatouille risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 small aubergine (eggplant), cut into 1cm dice
- 1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange)
- 1 medium courgette (zucchini), cut into 1cm dice
- 4 medium mushrooms, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 250 g (~ 1 1/4 cups) arborio rice
- 1 litre (~ 4 cups) vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp basil pesto (use vegan pesto if needed)
- To serve: fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan or wok, and add the diced onion, aubergine, pepper, courgette and mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the vegetables are soft and just starting to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and dried oregano, and cook for a couple more minutes.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan, and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the same pan, and add the arborio rice (alternatively, if you prefer, you can use a separate pan for the rice and cook both simultaneously).
- Cook the rice in the oil for a minute or two over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, then add a little of the vegetable stock. Stirring regularly, allow the rice to absorb most of the excess liquid. Continue adding the stock a little at a time, allowing any excess to be absorbed each time before adding more. When you've used all the stock and the rice is soft, add the tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, and basil pesto, and mix well. Return the cooked vegetables to the pan, and mix well to combine.
- Serve topped with fresh basil if desired.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/4 of the recipe.
Nicki Escudero
Tuesday 9th of July 2019
Hi, Becca,
I made this last night. Absolutely delicious, as usual! Thanks for the great recipes! Nicki
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Friday 12th of July 2019
Thank you lovely! :)
Erica
Thursday 12th of July 2018
I just wanted to clarify what you mean by 'tomato puree'. Tomato paste? Tomato sauce from a can that has additional spices? Pomi brand tomato sauce from a carton that is nothing but tomatoes (no spices) which I conveniently have in my fridge? I do appreciate your help!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Thursday 12th of July 2018
Hi Erica :) I'm fairly sure that what we call tomato puree in the UK is the same as your tomato paste in the US - it comes in a tube or a small can, and is a fairly thick, rich tomato paste. It just serves to make the sauce a little richer :) Hope that helps!
Kat
Friday 19th of January 2018
I absolutely loved this and I can’t wait to make it again! I actually forgot to put the onion in but it still tasted amazing. Thanks.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Wednesday 24th of January 2018
Thanks Kat! Really glad you enjoyed it :)
Gretty Loir
Friday 13th of October 2017
Its yummy :) <3 This looks SO good girl! I can't wait to try this. I've been meaning to tell you I really like your blog layout. Cheers! Dawn
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Wednesday 18th of October 2017
Thank you! :)
Angrboda
Thursday 12th of October 2017
I had this one planned for Monday this week, but it got pushed to today due to illness. You just don't want to deal with something you haven't made before when poorly, but I ran out of ways to avoid it, especially since I had already bought all the things. In the end I skipped the risotto bit (couldn't face all that pot-minding) and just cooked a similar portion regular basmati instead. Tipped it in with the tomato, pesto and vinegar and gave it a good heat through. Turned out rather dryer than the risotto would have been so I added a splash of coffee cream (not ideal, but what I had) which helped, and all in all it turned out a good and hearty meal anyway. I'll definitely have to cook it the correct way next time, but it was also rather pleasant to find something quick and easy for times such as these. Especially if you can get someone to help with the chopping. :)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Wednesday 18th of October 2017
Glad you managed to find a way to make it work for you! :)