Creamy Tomato and Shrimp Risotto

Creamy tomato and shrimp risotto. It’s super tasty, packed with delicious pan-fried shrimp and made ultra smooth with a herby cream cheese. It’s garlic-kissed, and jazzed up with puréed tomatoes and fresh basil. A perfectly cozy, delicious dinner for any night of the week. This is a meal that’s sure to become a new favorite. Extra bonus? This risotto is made in only one pan.
When shrimp, tomatoes and cream cheese are paired together, you know things are going to be good. Big bowls of comfort await.

A big, bubbling pan of risotto is one of the most satisfying things. This risotto recipe stands out from others because in addition to the usual chicken broth that’s used as cooking liquid, we also add pureed tomatoes. That means the rice absorbs that tangy, sweet tomato flavor and creates an even more flavorful dish.

What’s more, we cook the rice in the same pan where we first seared the shrimp, the juices from the shrimp infuse the dish with their wonderful taste.

This is dinner at its very best. It’s a one-pot dish simple enough for a weeknight yet just fancy enough for a casual dinner party with friends. This recipe is full of so many familiar, well-loved flavors, making it something that can easily feed a crowd without any concern that they’ll be left unsatisfied.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

Risotto is incredibly adaptable to substitutions and add-ins:

• serve this risotto with a simple lettuce salad on the side
• not a fan of shrimp? swap them for chicken or just leave them out
• add more veggies to the risotto, like cherry tomatoes, green peas, spinach or zucchini
• any leftover risotto can easily be reheated, but because of the absorbent nature of rice it takes on a different, more dense texture the next day. Just add a splash of water and give it a good stir
• although risotto is most commonly made with arborio rice, you can make a very delicious risotto with sushi rice 
• if you don’t have any white wine, don’t worry, just add a splash of fresh lemon juice for some acidity

More delicious recipes, please!

• Creamy Risotto with Balsamic Mushrooms
• Cheesy Orzo with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Mexican Rice Bake with Chorizo and Eggs

Recipe Video

Yield: serves 4

Creamy Tomato and Shrimp Risotto

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 450 g/16 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 150 g/5.3 oz cream cheese with garlic and fine herbs, I used Boursin cheese
• 4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
1L-1,5L/4-6 cups warm chicken broth
• 6 fresh basil sprigs

spices

• 1 tsp each: salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, garlic powder, dried thyme

Instructions

1. Combine shrimp with 1 tbsp olive oil and spices. Toss and set aside for 15 minutes while you mince the garlic, chop the onion and celery. If you want to marinate them longer, no problem, transfer the shrimp to the fridge and chill for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Set a large non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Add the remaining olive oil and butter. Place shrimp in a single layer, sear for 1 minute. Turn and sear the other side, 1 minute. Remove from skillet.
3. Lower the heat, add garlic and onion. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chopped celery, cook for 2 minutes more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Pour in 1 cup chicken broth at a time, stirring frequently, until the broth has been almost completely absorbed before adding the next cup. Cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes. It's possible that you don't need to use up all of the broth. Add puréed tomatoes and tomato paste, simmer 3-5 minutes more, or until the risotto is ready.
5. If needed, add more broth, risotto should flow slowly. If you can stand a spoon up in it, this means it needs more broth. 
6. Stir in cream cheese and basil. Season with black pepper. Now taste and adjust salt.
7. Return shrimp back to the pan and simmer over low heat until warmed through, maximum 1 minute.
8. Serve immediately. Enjoy!


Notes

Calories Per Serving: 636 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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