Pesto Risotto with Mushrooms & Roast Tomatoes

An incredible risotto with juicy mushrooms and beautifully flavoured with basil pesto and lots of lemon. The popping roast tomatoes take it to next level tasty.
Pesto risotto with mushrooms & roast tomatoes

This fantastic risotto is jam-packed with juicy mushrooms and beautifully flavoured with basil pesto and lots of lemon.

It’s delicious just as it is, but then, and I’m not sure why I haven’t done with before, I’ve topped it with roast cherry tomatoes.

They pop, and melt, and their juices ooze into the rice. It’s risotto alchemy!

The last flourish, I’ve topped it all with more pesto, toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of balsamic glaze and rocket.

It’s just so good!

And, I hope you love this recipe, Niki xx

The Recipe

Pesto risotto with mushrooms & roast tomatoes

Pesto Risotto with Mushrooms & Roast Tomatoes

An incredible risotto with juicy mushrooms and beautifully flavoured with basil pesto and lots of lemon. The popping roast tomatoes take it to the next level tasty.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
2-4 servings
5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

For the pesto

  • 4 tbsp pine nuts toasted
  • Big bunch basil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • Twist black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Water to loosen
  • Roast tomatoes
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • Splash olive oil
  • Sea salt

For the risotto

  • 250 g arborio rice washed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 onions chopped roughly
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • 3 tbsp white wine
  • 4 cups veg stock
  • 2 cup mushrooms of choice sliced
  • 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • Zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • Lots of black pepper
  • 1 cup pesto
  • Juice 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch salt

For the toppings

  • More pesto
  • Toasted pine nuts
  • Balsamic glaze
  • Rocket
  • Sprinkle sea sat

Instructions

To make the pesto

  • Add all the ingredients to your food processor or high-speed blender and blitz until everything is combined with the texture you prefer. You may need to scrape the sides down a few times.

To cook the tomatoes

  • Add the cherry tomatoes to a large baking tray and toss them in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Bake on a medium heat for 30 minutes or until soft and browning a little. Set aside.

To make the risotto

  • Add the oil to a large pan (with a lid) on a low to medium heat, then add in the chopped onions. Fry for 8-10 minutes until soft. Next, add the garlic and fry for a minute, then add rice and stir for a minute, then add in the wine. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  • Add the rice and the white wine to the pan and stir throughly to combine.
  • Add 1 cup at a time of stock at a time until all the liquid is absorbed.
  • Stir in 1 cup pesto and the mushrooms. Now add in the zest and juice of your lemon, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
  • You can eat at this stage or if you want a super gooey and comforting risotto, turn off the heat and pop the lid on and let it sit for 10 -15 minutes

To serve

  • Top with the roast tomatoes, more pesto, toasted pine nuts, a handful of rocket and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Print Recipe

I'd love to hear your comments…

  • Anahita
    6 months ago Reply

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazing. I was So happy with the results. Enjoyed by my Vegan son.

  • Camila
    3 years ago Reply

    5 stars
    This tasted sooooooo good! I didn’t have nutritional yeast or vegetable broth, so I added some parmesan and goat cheese and used chicken broth instead.

  • Tatiana
    3 years ago Reply

    Hi, there is nothing in the recipe on how to prepare mushrooms? Do you just add uncooked sliced mushrooms into rice? Or do I need to fry the mushrooms before hand? Thank you!

  • Sarah
    3 years ago Reply

    Didn’t have any pine nuts so replaced them with walnuts in the pesto – absolutely delicious, and as a rule of thumb I really don’t like risotto.

  • Becky
    4 years ago Reply

    Hi Niki,

    I’ve just made this recipe, (the first of many of yours that I’ve bookmarked!) This is absolutely delicious, can’t believe how beautiful it tastes!

    Thank you so much for sharing this, very excited to try your other recipes now!!

    Becky x

    • Niki
      3 years ago Reply

      Hi Becky – thanks so much for your wonderful comments, I hope you enjoy! Niki xo

  • Shannon
    5 years ago Reply

    Delicious!! I opted to use prepare pesto but it still turned out great. I followed this recipe exactly and it yielded upwards of 8 servings rather than 2-4.

  • Anna
    5 years ago Reply

    Do you have to add the yeast? What is the purpose of this?

    • Niki
      5 years ago Reply

      Hi Anna
      The nutritional yeast adds a ‘cheesy’ flavour. Its not essential but improves the flavour.
      My best
      Niki xx

  • Babs B
    5 years ago Reply

    Looking forward to having this for dinner tonight!

Let me know what you think below…

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