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Ingredients

You’ll also need

  • weighing scales
  • measuring jug
  • chopping board
  • sharp knife
  • garlic crusher
  • can opener
  • grater
  • large ovenproof pan with a lid
  • wooden spoon
  • oven gloves

Method

  • STEP 1

    Before you get started, take a look at our weighing and measuring skills guide. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Melt the butter in a large ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for 3-4 mins until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring the whole time. Tip in the rice and mix well to coat in the buttery onion mixture.

  • STEP 2

    If you’re using a stock cube, boil the kettle. Crumble the stock cube into a jug and carefully measure in 700ml hot water from the kettle, stirring to dissolve the cube. If using fresh stock, warm this in a pan over a low heat until steaming.

  • STEP 3

    Add the cherry tomatoes and hot stock to the rice, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

  • STEP 4

    Cover with a tightly fitting lid and bake for 20 mins. Carefully remove from the oven using oven gloves and stir – the rice should be just cooked, with a little bite. The risotto may still look quite runny at this stage.

  • STEP 5

    Stir through most of the cheese, replace the lid and leave to stand for 3-4 mins. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and the basil to serve.

Recipe tips

Grow your own

Tomatoes grow during the summer months in the UK and nothing tastes better than food grown in your own back garden. Try them in this recipe. Simply replace the can of cherry tomatoes with 400g fresh chopped tomatoes mixed with a pinch of sugar.

Basil is easy to grow in a pot on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse. Buy seeds and plant in a large pot. Make sure to water them regularly – the seeds will start sprouting within a week or two.

Don’t waste it

The hard edge of parmesan cheese, called the rind, is packed with flavour. Instead of throwing it away, use it to add deeply savoury notes to your dishes. Boil it in the base of a broth or soup (such as minestrone), or add it to a pan of creamy beans to serve with sausages. Don’t forget to remove it before serving, though – it’s only there for flavour and will be too hard to eat!

Goes well with

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