Oven Baked Nightshade Risotto
This summery risotto uses nightshades like peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes to create a rich and Provencal inspired flavor base. Don't skip the tomato paste, it really helps to deepen the flavors of the risotto.
Equipment
- 1 9"13" baking dish - preferably ceramic
Ingredients
- 1 generous cup arborio rice
- 3 cups hot vegetable stock or water
- ½ cup dry white wine, like a Chardonnay
- 1 Chinese eggplant or 1/2 Italian eggplant
- 1 Spanish onion
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the baking dish inside the oven while it's heating up.
- Seed and finely chop the eggplant. Place the chopped eggplant in a bowl of cold salted water for 10 minutes to draw out some of the bitterness.
- While the eggplant is soaking, finely chop the onion and red bell pepper. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.
- Drain the eggplant and pat dry. To the skillet, add in the onion, bell pepper, eggplant and garlic.
- Sautee for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add in the tomato paste and salt and cook for another 1-2 minutes until a deep red.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven. Working quickly, add the arborio rice , and pepper mixture to the baking dish.
- Carefully pour in the hot stock and white wine and give the rice a good stir until evenly combined.
- Lay the sprig of thyme over the rice and cover the dish tightly with heavy duty foil.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and carefully remove the foil.
- Vigorously stir in the butter and cheese until risotto is creamy. Mash up the garlic cloves and stir them into the rice as well.
- Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.