I would eat risotto everyday! It is so delicious… even a simple risotto can be the best food on Earth if made right! It just needs simple quality ingredients, taking their time to meld beautifully together.
We love risotto so much, that we hardly ever order it when we eat at restaurants, we have so many tried and tested homemade recipes that we are spoilt for choice, and we have too often been dissatisfied by what we were served.
Aubergine is already more available in the markets by now and tomatoes will also start getting more taste with the change of season. I wanted to combine these vegetables with one of our favourite dishes… Risotto! 😀
I like to start this dish by roasting the aubergine because it results in more flavour. If you think you do not have enough time on the day, you can plan ahead and roast the aubergine a day ahead. Alternatively, you can also just chop the aubergine in small cubes and sauté it in the pan prior to adding the rice, giving it some chance to brown and absorb flavour from the onion, garlic and olive oil.
It is a great dish to prepare for a larger amount of people, even with different dietary requirements since it is gluten free and can also be suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets. The recipe can be easily doubled or otherwise adjusted according to the number of people for dinner.
Tomato and Aubergine Risotto
A comforting dish of risotto packed with flavour
Ingredients
- 1 large aubergine
- 6 medium tomatoes
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 100ml dry red wine
- 200g arborio rice
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Grana Padano, to serve
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Slice the aubergine in half lengthwise and slash the flesh of the aubergine in diamond pattern, making sure you do not cut through the skin. Place on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over the aubergine, sprinkle the dried oregano and thyme. Roast for 30-35 minutes until the aubergine is super soft and starts to fall apart. After 20 minutes, add the tomatoes to the same baking sheet with the aubergine, also drizzling with some olive oil. Once ready, set them aside to cool down. Scoop the flesh of the aubergine out and roughly chop the aubergine skin into small pieces.
- In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Stir in the rice and let it absorb any liquids in the pan.
- Add in the roasted aubergine (flesh and skin) and the tomatoes. Using a wooden spoon, break down the tomatoes into smaller pieces.
- Pour in a ladleful of hot vegetable stock and mix everything together. Once the liquid is absorbed by the rice, add another ladleful of vegetable stock. Keep repeating this step until the rice is almost cooked through.
- Season with salt and pepper. If using the butter, add it in now. Cover the pan and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Give it a good stir before plating. Serve with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
