Baked Cherry Tomato & Pesto Risotto
with Pine Nuts & Parmesan
- Milk
- Pine Nut
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Soy
- May contain traces of allergens
- Milk
- Peanuts
- Sesame
- Almond
- Brazil nut
- Traces of Cashew
- Macadamia
- Pecan
- Pistachio
- Walnut
- Hazelnut
When our recipe developers first whipped this one up, we all gathered close. "It's...it's beautiful!" someone exclaimed. Baked until al dente and brought together with basil pesto, sharp Parmesan, sweet bursts of thyme-roasted cherry tomatoes, plus a squeeze of lemon to balance the richness, we think you'll agree! The current labour shortages have impacted availability of ingredients across the entire food supply chain. As such, what you receive may be slightly different to what’s pictured. Don’t worry, your recipe will be just as delicious!
Ingredients
1
onion
3 clove
garlic
½
lemon
1 packet
arborio rice
(May be present: Wheat, Gluten, Soy)
1 sachet
vegetable stock powder
1 punnet
Snacking Tomatoes
1 bag
thyme
1 packet
pine nuts
(Contains: Pine Nut May be present: Milk, Peanuts, Sesame, Soy, Almond, Brazil nut, Cashew, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut, Hazelnut)
1 bag
parsley
1 bag
mixed leaves
1 packet
basil pesto
(Contains: Milk)
1 packet
grated Parmesan cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
1
olive oil
20 g
butter
(Contains: Milk)
2 cup
water
1 tbs
balsamic vinegar
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Finely chop onion and garlic. Zest lemon to get a good pinch, then slice into wedges. In a large frying pan, heat the butter and a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion, stirring, until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and lemon zest and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add arborio rice. Stir to combine, then cook until rice is coated and slightly translucent, 1-2 minutes.
Add the water and vegetable stock powder to the frying pan. Bring to the boil, then remove from heat. Transfer risotto to a baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is ‘al dente’, 24-28 minutes.
TIP: 'Al dente' rice is cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre.
While risotto is baking, halve cherry tomatoes. Pick thyme leaves.
Place cherry tomatoes and thyme on a lined oven tray. Add the balsamic vinegar, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then roast until blistered, 15-20 minutes.
Remove risotto from oven. Stir through mixed leaves, grated Parmesan cheese, basil pesto and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste. Gently fold in the roasted cherry tomatoes.
TIP: If the risotto is dry, add a splash of water and stir through.
Divide baked cherry tomato and pesto risotto between bowls. Top with pine nuts and tear over parsley leaves. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on July 2026- Flavour: The pesto, balsamic-roasted cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan are widely praised, though some found the overall flavour mild and suggested adding extra pesto to boost it.
- Ease of prep: Baking the risotto in the oven is a standout feature, freeing you from constant stirring and making this one of the simpler risotto recipes to pull off. Some reviewers used a Dutch oven with a lid instead of foil, or a pressure cooker, to streamline the process further.
- Suggestions: Toasting the pine nuts before serving is recommended, and several customers swapped kale or silverbeet for baby spinach with great results. Some found the balsamic and thyme combination on the tomatoes too acidic and suggest adjusting to taste, and a few noted that adding an extra splash of water before baking helped the rice cook evenly.
- Leftovers: This dish reheats well and several customers enjoyed it for lunch the next day, noting the pesto flavour deepens overnight.
- Portions: Most found the serving size generous and filling, though a handful felt it needed more rice or vegetables to satisfy larger appetites.
