Corn and Tomato Risotto

Risotto is something I usually think of as a fall and winter sort of dish, since it involves standing over a hot pan and stirring constantly. But I just couldn’t resist this recipe when I saw it, and I put it on the menu in hopes that the time spent over a hot stove would be worth it.

It was.

This risotto had the perfect balance of sweet and savory elements, and since part of the cooking liquid is milk, it’s even creamier than risotto usually is. There’s something so magical and wonderfully summery about the combination of corn, tomatoes, and basil. I have to be honest and tell you that I used a can of corn rather than fresh, which feels like blasphemy (for various reasons that aren’t really all that important, I wasn’t able to get to the store to get fresh corn on the cob) – but this was still delicious. Next time I’ll use fresh corn for sure, and also replace the chopped tomato with halved cherry tomatoes since they’re so sweet this time of year. I served this alongside rosemary ranch chicken kabobs, and it’ll definitely be a go-to summer side for me from now on.

Corn and Tomato Risotto
adapted from Taste of Home

3 cups chicken stock
2 cups whole milk
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup uncooked arborio rice
1 1/3 cups fresh corn (about 5 ears of corn)(or 1 can of corn, drained)
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, heat the stock and milk; keep warm.

2. In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.

3. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add rice; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock/milk mixture. Cook and stir until all liquid is absorbed.

4. Add remaining stock/milk mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow the liquid to absorb between additions. Cook until risotto is creamy and rice is almost tender. (Cooking time is about 20 minutes.) Stir in the remaining ingredients; heat through.