Stirring Stuff!

Risoni con Pomodorini, Basilico & Zenzero
Risoni with Cherry Tomatoes, Basil & Ginger

 

This evening it was time to make some of those slinky, delicious Risoni noodles again. Once in a while I love to cook them up with something nice and tasty and this evening I decided to keep things simple but flavorful with ginger, basil and juicy cherry tomatoes...

Quick, easy, healthy and perfect for a tasty, no-stress meal- the kind you can whip together out of nowhere even when you think you have nothing there to eat ...

 

As opposed to boiling the risoni andd then adding other ingredients, flavors and aromas later, I decided to cook the risoni in a similar way to a risotto. By adding liquid little-by-little as they cooked and by adding the noodles to the other ingredients, right from the beginning, all of the flavors cooked right into the risoni and the result was sooo yummy! 'Twas a good idea, I'd say!

 

You will need next-to-nothing to make this... obviously, the risoni, then cherry tomatoes, Spring onion, fresh ginger and plenty of basil. Oh- and around 20 minutes, with a bit of stirring added-in. You can do it!

 

With a yummy bowl of pasta like this as your reward- what is a little stirring in exchange? Fear not- this is less labor-intensive than a risotto, much less fattening as it has no butter or cheese- but so, so tasty with the ginger and basil! It's absolutely worth its while- and then some!

 

Whilst you boil yourself a kettle of water and turn on the heat under a saucepan to which you have added a splash of olive oil, quickly slice-up the onion, cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and finely chop the ginger.

 

Fry the onion and ginger together for a couple of minutes first and then add the tomatoes and season with salt and plenty of pepper.

 

Add the risoni and the basil and stir together until everything is coated in the oil and juices, then add a little nutmeg and a tad more olive oil. Stir for 1-2 minutes and then add enough boiling water to cover everything, reduce the heat to a low simmer and allow to boil for 4-5 minutes.

 

You may need to stir it occasionally, but it should not be as labor-intensive affair as with a risotto... just every now and then will do. The risoni will absorb quite a bit of water (and all of the flavors boiling into it of course), so keep adding just enough to cover it, stir it through and then allow it to simmer and cook-in all of that great aroma- and yes! It will be smelling terrific!

 

I topped up mine 4 times in all until the risoni were soft and delicious and the broth had become slightly thickened by the starch from the risoni and the continual stirring... who needs more in the way of butter and cheese when you have the great flavor of the basil and ginger? Not I!

 

And around 20-25 minutes later you will have a wonderful, hot, tasty bowl of pasta, ready to be served with plenty of freshly ground pepper and a hearty, "buon appetito!"

 

I'd say that is plenty "unctuous" and delicious without any extra added fat! And I am betting you will agree if you give it a try... so do so! 

 

And despite being such a simple bowl of food, this still looks mighty fine- don't you think?

 

The ginger gives a touch of extra spice than makes this really come to life- just a little bit different and a whole lot more special than a plain old classic tomato sauce... but it's the little things that matter after all! Enjoy!