Ingredients

Serves 4 as a side dish

• 1 cup risotto (arborio) rice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100g rocket leaves
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 50g Parmesan cheese, grated
• Handful dried mushrooms (e.g. porcini)
• ½ cup Puy lentils
• or green lentils
• About 3 cups vegetable stock

Method

1. Put the Puy lentils in a pan with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until tender - about 30 minutes.
   
2. Chop the dried mushrooms finely. Peel and chop the onion. Peel and crush the garlic.
   
   
3. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic and saute gently for 5 minutes.
   
   
4. Add the rice and mix well. Saute for 2 minutes.
   
   
5. Add 1 cup of the vegetable stock and stir well. Simmer gently for a few minutes, until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Then add a 2nd cup of stock.
   
   
6. Continue to simmer until this water has been absorbed. Add more liquid, 1/2 cup at a time, and simmer, until the rice is cooked.
   
   
7. Wash the rocket leaves and drain well. Wash the tomatoes.
   
   
8. Chop the rocket and tomatoes roughly.
   
   

9. When the rice is cooked, mix in the Parmesan cheese. Drain the Puy lentils and rinse them. Mix with the risotto.
   
   
10. Then add and mix the rocket and tomatoes. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
    

Time From Cupboard-To-Table

Notes & Variations on Tomato And Rocket Risotto

If you want to make this in advance, stop at stage 9. Add the rocket and tomatoes after reheating the risotto, just before serving.

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