Caprese Risotto

Cosy, cheesy, and just right for summer: caprese risotto features a tangy tomato broth, perfectly melted gooey mozzarella, smoky charred tomatoes, and plenty of fresh basil.

Is this plate a meal? Or is it a teleportation device that will transport you right to the sunny shores of Capri? You decide!

Now, this caprese risotto really is magic. It takes all the flavours you know and love from a time-honoured caprese salad, and puts them in a comforting, rich, creamy pan of risotto.

Caprese — a fresh salad inspired by the colours of the Italian flag — has a trio of ingredients (tomato, mozzarella, and basil). But this isn’t just plain rice with tomatoes stirred through. No-no.

We’ve got double layers of tomato intensity. To start, the broth is imbued with half a bottle’s worth of passata (Hint: Use the rest in pasta alla Siciliana!). The result: every bite is flavourful, umami-packed, and loaded with that signature sweet-tangy tomato flavour.

Secondly, there’s the charred tomatoes — and oh boy, does that bring out FLAVOUR with a capital “f”! Fresh, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes cooked until they’re smoky, jammy, and caramelised beautifully.

Pockets of creamy melted mozzarella elevate the plate to the next level of comfort and indulgence. My mouth is watering, and if yours isn’t too, well, just you wait …

It may not be traditional, but caprese risotto has got style. Style and substance.

🍅 Ingredient Notes

• Risotto rice — arborio (most common) or carnaroli (my choice) — is vital. Don’t try to substitute any other variety of rice; these high-starch, short-grain types are what make the risotto so lusciously creamy.
• Passata is full of umami brightness from tomatoes. It’s smoother than tomato sauce, ideal for an intensely tomato-based sauce.
• Olive oil is best for Italian recipes, and this is no different! I always suggest using the best quality you can afford.
• Shallots give our caprese risotto a delicate, mild flavour. You could use yellow onions for a bolder pungency.
• Garlic
• Vegetable stock cubes bring depth of flavour. Any vegetable stock cube will do, but opt for low-salt so you can adjust the seasonings yourself. Alternatively, use a carton of organic vegetable broth.
• Mozzarella for our caprese-inspired trio! It melts into the risotto, giving you some ridiculously long cheese pulls. I prefer to use high-moisture Fior di Latte (cow’s milk) or Mozzarella di Bufala (buffalo mozzarella) for this recipe.
• Pecorino stirred through at the end adds a sharp saltiness. Use vegetarian pecorino (or parmesan) made from microbial rennet — avoid Pecorino Romano DOP or Pecorino Sardo DOP, as neither is vegetarian.
• Basil is a fresh, peppery match made in heaven with tomatoes and mozzarella.
• Tomatoes — ideally vine-ripened, heirloom or heritage tomatoes — add the finishing touch. Pan-fried until charred and oh-so-savoury, they offer bursts of powerfully smoky sweetness.

You’ll also need to season your caprese risotto with freshly cracked black pepper for just a touch of pleasant heat and fine sea salt, which helps to boost other flavours.

Adapting for Allergies and Dietary Requirements

This recipe for caprese risotto is 100% vegetarian, nut-free, and soy-free.

To make caprese risotto vegan, use a vegan mozzarella brand such as GreenVie, MozzaRisella, Violife, or I Am Nut OK. Mozzarella is a crucial component of the caprese triad, so can’t be skipped.

You can, however, skip pecorino or replace it with a vegan parmesan alternative (GreenVie ParmVeggio, Violife, or homemade).

While my caprese risotto is gluten-free, you have to be careful with vegetable stock cubes. Both Knorr and Kallo are labelled gluten-free, but others may contain wheat or barley as thickening agents.

Finally, this risotto is also alcohol-free. Traditionally, risotto recipes use white wine to de-glaze the pan. As the alcohol cooks off, it leaves an acidic undertone and great depth of flavour.

If you’re in an alcohol-free household, you won’t notice a downgrade — but if you’re used to more classic risotto recipes, feel free to add it back to the recipe!

🌶️ Variations and Additions

• Drizzle balsamic glaze over the finished caprese risotto, much as you might with a typical caprese salad.
• Stir wilted spinach into the rice for a more nutritious, iron-rich meal that’s fabulous for children.
• Use burrata for a creamier dish that feels ultra-indulgent and luxurious.
• Add chillies for a punchy twist on caprese flavours. Try mild red chilli flakes (sauteed with the aromatics at the beginning) or Calabrian chillies for a more Southern Italian touch.
• A spoonful of pesto adds oomph and vibrancy to the dish. I have plenty of recipes to choose from: traditional basil pesto, pumpkin-seed pesto, pesto without pine nuts, or wild garlic pesto for spring!

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Caprese Risotto (Step-by-Step Photos)

Risotto has a reputation for being finicky. Fear not, fellow cook: it’s not hard to cook risotto. However, it does require hands-on cooking time.

This recipe takes around 30 minutes to cook. Add on a few minutes for prep work, and you’re still looking at a manageable timeframe for weeknights and weekends.

To show how straightforward the process is, I’ve taken step-by-step photos from my kitchen. Feel free to refer back to these when you get down to cooking!

🪄 Top Tips From The Kitchen

Risotto is one of those dishes that’s on a weekly rotation in my household — that’s without my work as a recipe developer! So, you can imagine how many risotto recipes I’ve tested. Here are my tips to make a magic risotto, every single time:

• Rice matters. Of course, you should be using risotto rice, not pudding rice, sushi rice, or long-grain rice like basmati. But did you know there are wide varieties of risotto rice, each within a hierarchy? Arborio rice is the basic stuff — passable — but carnaroli rice is king. Plump, starchy, and extra-creamy, it’ll take your risotto to the next level.
• Toasting the risotto rice adds a gloriously nutty depth of flavour and prevents the grains from becoming mushy or overcooked later on.
• Adding the broth slowly is key to creaminess. While it’s tempting to pour in the whole lot, cooking the rice in small amounts of water is best, as it releases more starch. More starch = a creamier texture.
• Stir often. This is not a leave-it-on-the-stove kind of recipe. Agitating the rice by stirring frequently creates friction, which releases starch. As you already know from the above points, that results in a richer end result.

❄️ How to Store Caprese Risotto Leftovers

Whether you have leftovers or you’re meal-planning for the week ahead, here’s how to keep your caprese risotto tasting just as delicious as the day you cooked it:

🡆 Fridge: Cool the risotto, then transfer to air-tight containers. Refrigerate for up to three days.

🡆 Freezer: Again, cool and transfer to airtight, freezer-safe containers. Label with a recipe name and date (Suggestion: Go with Best Before vs Made Date), and freeze for up to three months. It may lose a little of its creaminess, but overall, risotto freezes well.

🡆 Reheat: On the hob with a little extra broth or water to loosen things up. If you’re reheating from frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight first.

Alternatively, add a splash of liquid and microwave for 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until piping hot. Don’t forget to use a microwave-safe container!

Tip: Want to mix things up? I love making arancini from leftover risotto! Arancini are small Sicilian-style breaded and fried rice balls, making them a moreish, crowd-pleasing appetiser. You can follow the steps in my mushroom arancini or pesto arancini recipe for detailed instructions.

🥦 Serving Suggestions

Caprese risotto pairs best with a light, zesty salad to contrast its rich creaminess. My arugula and spinach salad always goes down a treat with guests!

Grilled vegetables are divine for the same reason. Grilled asparagus is a favourite, as are garlicky mushrooms, courgette (zucchini), and roasted tenderstem broccoli.

To make the meal more filling, you could marry it with homemade focaccia (to mop up any extra juicy tomato broth!) or aubergine schnitzel (eggplant).

Let me know which one you pick!

Obsessed with Caprese Flavours? Try These Recipes

• Caprese flatbread
• Caprese toasts
• Caprese pesto sandwich
• Caprese crostini