Red Risotto

Ingredients

• 2
  
  tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1
  
  medium yellow onion, diced
  
• 1/2
  
  red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  
• 1
  
  clove minced garlic
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 4
  
  cups peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomatoes
  
• 
  
  Chicken or vegetable broth
  
• 3
  
  tablespoons butter, divided 2/1
  
• 1
  
  cup Arborio rice
  
• 1/2
  
  cup finely grated parmesan plus more for serving
  

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the diced onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté until the vegetables soften but don’t brown. Stir in the tomatoes and salt and continue cooking until the tomatoes start to break up.
2. Off the heat, measure the amount you have in cups and then add enough broth to total 4 cups.
3. Puree the mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender. Keep warm on the stove.
4. In another pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, add the rice and stir to coat the grains thoroughly. Over medium heat add about 2 ladles of the tomato mixture and stir frequently until the rice almost absorbs the liquid. Continue to add the tomato mixture a ladle at a time, stirring frequently until all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice. This will take about 20 minutes.
5. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the 1/2 cup of parmesan. Serve warm garnishing each serving with a little grated parmesan