Caprese Risotto is a delicious recipe from Italy that combines the country’s favourite rice dish with it’s iconic and colourful salad.
Our pretty Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto is garnished with basil leaves before serving, sporting the green, red and white colours of the Italian flag.
The easy homemade recipe can be served as a side dish with your favourite grilled meats and seafood, or as a cheesy vegetarian entree all on its own.
We know you’ll love this sublime Mozzarella Risotto featuring juicy oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and freshly plucked basil.
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What Is Caprese Risotto?
A Caprese Risotto is an Italian rice dish inspired by the classic Caprese Salad.
A traditional Caprese Salad is made of sliced fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and fragrant basil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Like Margherita Pizza, the salad features the colours of the Italian flag: green, white, and red.
In Italy, the salad is usually served as an antipasto, which can be eaten any time of day. The salad is just one form of a “Caprese dish,” it may also be served as a pasta, sandwich or risotto.
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish cooked with hot broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. The broth can be derived from meat, fish, or vegetables or simply boiling water. Most risotto recipes contain butter, onion, white wine, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy.
Our easy homemade Caprese Risotto recipe combines two of your favourite Italian dishes, Caprese Salad and risotto, to create a mouth-watering vegetarian dish to serve at your next dinner party.
Cook this classic risotto recipe and flavour the dish with oven roasted cherry tomatoes, sliced mozzarella cheese and finely chopped fresh basil.
You May Also Enjoy These Risotto Recipes…
- Sartu Di Riso Italian Baked Risotto
- Crispy Roast Chicken and Leek Risotto
- Gorgonzola Risotto al Radicchio
Travel to Italy by Cooking Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto at Home
I love traveling to Europe!
During my first visit to the continent I traveled for 5 months by train and plane. I had the opportunity to eat my way through Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Bosnia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, France, Malta and Italy.
What I love most about traveling to Italy is the opportunity to sample unique dishes in each region and city. The dishes in Tuscany (Florence, Pisa, Volterra, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Sorano, Montalcino, Siena) are unique from what you’d find in Venice, Modena, Milan, Rome and the Amalfi Coast.
Any dish that includes the name Caprese refers to the romantic paradise island of Capri off the Amalfi Coast. We love to serve this healthy vegetarian dish in the summer when sweet vine-ripened tomatoes are in season and basil is bursting out of backyard herb garden.
Once back home from holiday you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the flavours of Italy and can impress friends and family by making our authentic Caprese Risotto recipe at home!
Where To Eat Caprese Risotto
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Italian restaurant that serves Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto.
Haven’t traveled to Italy before? It may be helpful to first sample Caprese Risotto at a local Italian restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You can also assess the consistency of the risotto, ideal rice to tomato ratio and other complimentary Italian dishes to serve at the table.
In Toronto, popular Italian restaurants in Yorkville, King West and Ossington that may serve Mozzarella Risotto include: Buca, Superpoint, Amano, Fabbrica, Oretta, FIGO, Nodo, Locale Mercatto, The Good Son, Taverna Mercatto, Ascari Enoteca, Il Fornello, Gusto 101 or Bar Vendetta.
My Family Loves Mozzarella Risotto
I love cooking regional Italian dishes for my family and friends.
I first made this Caprese Risotto on a hot summer day at our family cottage in Muskoka. It was peak tomato season, when the bright red fruit squirts its sweet pulp when sliced. Our backyard herb garden had a massive basil bush sprouting from the soil so it was the perfect dish to make as a light dinner.
I knew my family would enjoy this homemade risotto recipe because they love healthy vegetarian dishes, creamy risotto, roasted tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.
After placing steaming bowls of risotto on the table everyone smiled with glee after their first bites. The juices of the roasted tomatoes seeped into the risotto giving the creamy sauce a bright, sweetened flavour. When forking through the slices of mozzarella the stringy cheese pulled from the bottom of the bowl to each of our eager mouthes.
Because the recipe is vegetarian we love serving it as a meat-free side dish or main course at Italian-themed dinner parties.
Caprese Risotto Recipe Health Benefits
This cheesy Mozzarella Risotto recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Olive Oil is ranked as one of the healthiest fats and is a staple in the Mediterranean diet. It contains vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids and antioxidants.
Shallots are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Rich in energy-boosting manganese and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals, thyme may help keep your blood and immune system healthy.
The eugenol in basil can block calcium channels, which may help to lower blood pressure. The essential oils in the herb can help to lower your cholesterol and triglycerides. Basil also contains magnesium, which can help to improve blood flow by allowing muscles and blood vessels to relax.
Nearly 50% of the people in the world get over 50% of their daily calories from rice. If eating brown rice featuring nutritious bran you’ll enjoy health benefits like cancer risk reduction and diabetes control.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto Recipe Cooking Tips
This homemade Caprese Risotto recipe is quick and easy to make at home.
- Use a large nonstick skillet to prepare the risotto so the rice does not stick to the pan.
- We like to prepare this risotto with oven roasted tomatoes as it changes their flavour and makes them more sweet. You can also use freshly sliced tomato or sun-dried tomatoes if you prefer.
- We like to use small grape or cherry tomatoes in this recipe because they are bite-sized and easy to eat. You can also use roasted plum tomatoes or heirloom tomatoes if you prefer.
- Use quality arborio rice when preparing Italian risotto.
- We’ve used boiling water to moisten the risotto but you can use a warm broth like vegetable broth or chicken broth if you prefer.
- You can use a variety of mozzarella cheeses in this recipe. We used small bocconcini but you can also use fior di latte or burrata for a more extravagant meal.
- We suggest serving the risotto with an Italian dry white wine.
What To Serve With Caprese Risotto
There’s nothing more comforting than cozying up to a bowl of homemade Caprese Risotto.
We like to serve this creamy risotto in the Spring and Summer at lunch with a glass of cold white wine and salad like Vegetarian Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad, Roasted Beetroot Salad, Garlic Lemon Chickpea Avocado Salad and Fennel, Apple, Celery and Roasted Hazelnut Salad.
If you’re hosting an Italian-themed dinner party we suggest serving Tomato and Mozzarella Risotto as a side dish on a buffet including other popular recipes like:
- Fagioli all’Uccelletto Vegan Tuscan Beans in Tomato Sauce
- Ciceri e Tria Vegan Pugliese Pasta with Chickpeas
- Tajarin Pasta with Porcini Truffle Butter Sauce
- Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese Buckwheat Pasta
- Burrata Bruschetta Crostini
- Lumache Rigate Snail Pasta with Garlic Butter
- Creamy Saffron Tagliatelle Pasta with Ricotta and Mint
- Mafalda Pasta Noodles
- Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi
- Fresh Fig Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Cheesy Polenta
- Involtini di Pollo
- Aperol Gin Cocktail
- Italian Prosecco and Gin Cocktail
- Amaretto Disaronno Sour
- Negroni Spritz Cocktail
You May Also Enjoy These Vegetarian Recipes…
- Samosa Chaat Indian Snack
- Maduro con Queso Baked Plantain with Cheese
- Perkedel Jagung Crispy Indonesian Corn Fritters
- Creamy Cheesy Greek Spanakopita Dip
- French Mashed Potato Fritters
- Balila Healthy Vegan Lebanese Chickpea Salad
- Pancar Salatasi Turkish Beet Yogurt Salad
- Korozott Hungarian Cottage Cheese Spread
- Kitchri Indian Moong Dal Basmati Rice
- Sigara Börek Crispy Turkish Feta Cheese Filo Cigar Rolls
- Aloo Bharta Indian Style Mashed Potatoes
- Crispy Oven Roasted Cypriot Cyprus Potatoes
How To Make Easy Vegetarian Caprese Risotto
Caprese Risotto
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Skillet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- French knife
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tsp Minced Garlic
- 2 pints Cherry or Grape Tomatoes halved
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- Kosher Salt + Black Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Risotto Rice
- 1 Shallot minced
- 1/4 cup Dry Sherry
- 4 cups Boiling Water
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil chopped
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 cup Bocconcini Cheese halved
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 F with a rack in the middle position. In a 9×13 inch baking pan, mix the oil and tomato paste. Add the tomatoes, garlic, pepper flakes, thyme and 1/2 tsp salt. Roast until the tomatoes have softened and begin to char, 35-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove and discard the thyme, set the tomatoes aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high melt the butter. Add the shallots and stir for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Add the risotto rice and 1/2 tsp salt, then cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains are translucent at the edges, 2-3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook, stirring until evaporated.
- Add 2.5 cups of boiling water and bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and cook, stirring often until the grains are almost tender but still firm at the centre, 8-10 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of the remaining boiling water and cook, stirring often and briskly, until the rice is al dente, 5-7 minutes. The risotto should be loose but not soupy.
- Off heat, stir in the tomatoes with juice, basil and parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately topped with bocconcini cheese.
Nutrition
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