Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Chickpeas

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This Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Chickpeas is creamy and cozy, bursting with flavor!  Topped with roasted tomatoes and chickpeas,it becomes a luscious main course.

Ever since I first tried risotto, I have fallen in love with it.  It is the perfect comfort food you want to cozy up with or even have for a date night with your special someone.  Risotto is a classic dish that I like to refer to as a blank slate.  Add just about any flavor profile to it, and you have this divine and creamy dish that is absolutely divine.

WHAT IS RISOTTO?
Risotto is made from arborio rice.  It is a short grain rice from Northern Italy.  Naturally gluten free, it is filled with starch that gives the creamy texture when cooked.  There is a myth that risotto is hard to make.  I’m here to tell you this is not true.  It is just time consuming, that is all.  Many people have started using the Instant Pot technique so I have included the instructions for that in the recipe card.  I personally love the classic way of stirring in broth ladle by ladle and watching the rice soak up the liquid and getting creamier.  There’s something therapeutic about this technique.

WANT TO MAKE AMAZING RISOTTO?
Here are some simple but important tips to help make your risotto perfect:

  • Keep your broth warm. If you use cold broth, it will drop the temperature of the rice it comes into contact with in the pan.  This will also cause the starches to seize and become hard and gluey
  • Add your broth 1 ladle at a time.  If you add your broth in all at once, your end result with be a mushy risotto.  I prefer creamy to mushy personally.  Yes this takes time but this technique helps ensure the rice releases the starch gradually to give the creamy texture while maintaining the integrity of it’s form.


If you decide to make the risotto in the Instant Pot, be aware that the liquid will pool at the top.  That’s ok.  Just give it a quick stir to redistribute the liquid into the rice and you will be fine.
If you choose to go the traditional stove top route, just keep stirring and you will be fine!

Enjoy this creamy and cozy bowl of yum and feel free to add your own toppings and flavors.

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Sapna

I'm Sapna, a foodie, blogger, wife, mom of two beautiful girls, and lover of spices.  I have a background in Nutrition and Dietetics, which I use to incorporate healthy options into all of my recipes.  I love traveling to new places, trying new food, and in turn, creating them in my kitchen to relive the magic. When I'm not in the kitchen, I love curling up with a good book, playing with my munchkins, running, hanging out with friends, and gardening.

2 thoughts on “Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Chickpeas

  1. […] Pesto Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Chickpeas  Roasted Rainbow Veggies Anyways, back to the topic.  To the pan, I added garlic, because who doesn’t love roasted garlic?  And onions and basil.  I know you’re thinking, basil?  To the baking dish?  Trust me, it works.  Slow roast this then blitz it up in a blender and simmer on low heat.  It can’t get easier than this. […]

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