Quinoa Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula

Name: Quinoa Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Arugula
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 42 min
Total time: 57 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) cherry tomatoes, whole, rinsed and patted dry; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, thinly sliced; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) balsamic vinegar (optional); ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) kosher salt; 1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed well and drained; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, kept hot in a small saucepan; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup); 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced; ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 2 oz (56 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup); 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) freshly ground black pepper; 3 oz (85 g) baby arugula, about 4 loosely packed cups, washed and dried

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy, risotto-style quinoa simmered in white wine and vegetable broth, finished with Parmesan and lemon, then topped with sweet skillet-roasted cherry tomatoes and peppery arugula. It's all done on the stovetop in about an hour.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 42 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: About 6 cups (4 main-course servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the roasted tomatoes
12 oz (340 g) cherry tomatoes, whole, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves (6 g) garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon (5 ml) balsamic vinegar (optional)
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
For the risotto
1½ cups (270 g) white quinoa, rinsed well and drained
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, kept hot in a small saucepan
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 small (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)
2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 oz (56 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
To finish
3 oz (85 g) baby arugula, about 4 loosely packed cups, washed and dried

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet, preferably cast iron or stainless steel
3- to 4-quart (3–4 L) wide, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven
Small saucepan (1.5 quart / 1.5 L) for warming broth
Fine-mesh strainer
Wooden spoon
Rasp-style grater

Steps

Before you start

Rinse the quinoa under running water for a full minute; unrinsed quinoa tastes bitter and soapy.
Use low-sodium broth if you can, since the Parmesan adds salt. Taste before adding the final salt.
Finely grate the Parmesan (use a rasp-style grater) so it melts smoothly into the quinoa.
Have everything chopped before you begin. Once the broth goes in, you'll be stirring often.

1
Rinse the quinoa
- Put 1½ cups (270 g) quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water for 1 minute, rubbing the grains with your fingers.
- Shake off the excess water and set the strainer over a bowl to drain.
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Ready when: Water runs clear with no foam.
Tip: Skipping this step leaves a bitter, soapy edge.
2
Warm the broth
- Pour 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable broth into a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium-low until steaming with small bubbles at the edges, then reduce to low to keep it hot while you cook.
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Ready when: Broth is steaming and just below a simmer.
Tip: Hot broth keeps the quinoa cooking at an even pace. Cold broth stalls it.
3
Roast the tomatoes
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon salt in a single layer.
- Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then shake the pan every minute or so for 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Add the sliced garlic for the last 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the balsamic, if using.
- Scrape the tomatoes and all their juices into a bowl.
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Ready when: Skins are blistered with dark brown spots, and most tomatoes have split and are slumping. The garlic is golden, not dark brown.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan. If the tomatoes are stacked, they steam instead of blister. Use two batches if needed.
4
Sauté the onion
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the wide saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning.
5
Toast quinoa and garlic
- Add the drained quinoa to the onion.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the grains look dry and smell nutty.
- Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds more.
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Ready when: Grains are dry, smell nutty, and make a faint crackling sound. Garlic is fragrant but not browned.
6
Cook off the wine
- Pour in the white wine and stir.
- Let it bubble, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes.
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Ready when: The wine is almost fully absorbed and the sharp alcohol smell is gone. The pan bottom is nearly dry when you drag a spoon across it.
7
Add broth gradually
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add 1 cup (240 ml) hot broth and stir.
- Let it simmer gently, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the pan bottom is almost dry when you drag a spoon across it, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Repeat with a second and third cup of broth.
- The mixture should bubble gently, never boil hard.
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Ready when: Each addition is mostly absorbed and the quinoa looks swollen and slightly creamy. Some grains show a tiny white spiral tail.
Tip: If the quinoa is sticking to the pan, lower the heat a little and stir more often.
8
Finish the last cup
- Add the final cup (240 ml) of broth and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes.
- If the quinoa is still crunchy in the center when the broth is gone, add a few tablespoons of hot water and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer.
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Ready when: Grains are tender with a slight chew, the white spiral tails are visible, and the mixture is loose and creamy like thick porridge. It should slowly settle when you drag a spoon through it.
Tip: Quinoa keeps absorbing liquid as it sits, so stop while it still looks a bit looser than you want.
9
Stir in the creamy finish
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the Parmesan, butter, lemon juice, and black pepper until melted and glossy.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Cover and let it rest for 3 minutes.
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Ready when: Cheese and butter are fully melted, and the risotto is creamy and flows slowly.
Tip: If it tightens up, stir in a splash of hot water or broth.
10
Fold in arugula and serve
- Fold in two-thirds of the arugula, which wilts in the residual heat in about 30 seconds.
- Divide the risotto among 4 warm bowls.
- Spoon the roasted tomatoes and their juices on top and finish with the remaining fresh arugula.
- Serve immediately.
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Ready when: Arugula is just wilted and bright green.
Tip: Add the arugula at the end so it keeps its color and peppery bite.

Good to know

Tips

Stir often, but not constantly. Quinoa doesn't need the nonstop stirring of arborio rice, but it will stick if left alone.
Let the tomatoes sit undisturbed for the first 3 minutes to get real blistering and deeper flavor.
Stop cooking when the quinoa is just tender. Overcooked quinoa turns mushy and loses its spiral tails.
Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and extra Parmesan for a more restaurant-style bowl.

Make ahead

"Roast the tomatoes up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container; rewarm in a skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. The risotto is best fresh, but you can cook it through step 7 and hold it, covered, for up to 20 minutes before finishing."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: up to 1 hour. Refrigerator: store risotto and tomatoes separately in airtight containers for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze the risotto without arugula for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low with 2 to 4 tablespoons of broth or water, stirring until hot and creamy, then top with fresh arugula."

Substitutions

dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio → additional vegetable broth plus 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar. Use ½ cup (120 ml) broth for a non-alcoholic version.
baby arugula → baby spinach. Milder and less peppery. Use the same weight.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese → Pecorino Romano. Saltier and sharper, so reduce the added salt.
unsalted butter → extra-virgin olive oil. Use 1 tablespoon for a dairy-light, vegan-leaning butter swap (the Parmesan is still not vegan).