This year I am participating in a promotion of @TheGreatestTomatoesFromEurope and @IloveSanMarzanoDOP. Stop by my Instagram page @divinacucina to participate in a give-away. More information at the end of the blog.
Summer in Italy ends with a mad rush to preserve as much of summer as you can in a jar. Mostly tomatoes.
You can never have enough bottles of tomatoes in Italy. There are 52 weeks in the year, people probably have pasta daily, but not always with tomato sauce. There are monumental dishes like Eggplant Parmigiano, Lasagna and long, slow-cooked Ragu and stews are all tomato based. Immagine growing and canning that many tomatoes! Luckily we can buy high quality tomatoes as well. Look for the San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese – Nocerino DOP on the label.
A couple of summers ago, I was invited down to Sarno, where the San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese – Nocerino DOP tomatoes are grown. Just in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius, the soil is perfect. So much is involved with growing tomatoes. There are many farms that are growing them. We visited a small cooperative where each of the families had their own plot of land, each with a small space for them to keep their equipment, get shade, have lunch and rest. They showed us the process of bottling the tomatoes like they do family style.
To be a DOP product, Denomination of Origina Protected, the laws are very strict who can produce the DOP variety. Another reason I love San Marzano DOP tomatoes, is that the are all picked ripe. That makes a huge difference in flavor and cooking time. The are not acidic, they break down quickly to make a sauce and don’t need to be cooked for an hour. The San Marzano tomato is also mostly tomato and not seeds or water, another reason it cooks so quickly.
Today’s recipe for you to try is a comfort food dish I prepare for my Tuscan husband, Andrea. As usual, it is a recipe his mother made for him often. Riso al Pomodoro. Rice in Tomato sauce. For me, it is like having a cup of tomato soup, the same delicious flavor, but more filling.
Ingredients
- 2 large servings or 4 smaller for an first course
- 1 cup risotto rice ( arborio, vialone nano or canaroli)
- 2 cups canned San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese – Nocerino DOP, chopped
- 1 small onion, minced ( where I live now, Certaldo,we are famous for the red onions)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt to taste
- extra virgin olive oil
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cover the bottom of your pot with olive oil and saute' the onion and the garlic, until translucent.
- Add the rice and stir to heat well.
- They call this "toasting" the rice, it does not change color.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and the sauce from the can. Add salt to taste. Stir.
- As the rice cooks, it will absorb the liquid, have extra water on hand. I don't use broth.
- The rice should absorb twice its weight in liquid.
- Should take about 15 minutes.
- Taste a kernel of rice, bit it with your front teeth, it should not be crunchy, but still have a little "bite".
- Add more water if needed and stir until the rice is cooked.
- Adjust the salt to taste.
- Serve the risotto HOT and pass parmigiano at the table.
Would you like to wine a gift box of the best European food products in including Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP canned tomatoes.
To take part in the competition, I San Marzano DOP, create an original recipe including canned San Marzano DOP tomatoes by November 20th.
Post on a foto on instagram, tag @divinacucina and @ILoveSanMarzanoDOP and use the hashtag #ILoveSanMarzanoDOP
Not only do you win but the winner will then get to nominate someone they think deserves this generous gift, too. You’ll BOTH win a delicious bounty of inspiring ingredients!
Here’s how it works:
Email me your favorite recipe that you’ve created using San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP canned tomatoes and a foto.
We must receive your email by midnight, November 20, 2020. The contest is open to residents of the United States ages 18 and over.
Next, name a family, frontline worker, charity, hospital, or person who you feel could use a boost. In your email to us, explain why you chose them.
Finally, we will pick a winner just before Thanksgiving. The prize? A beautiful delivery of delicious DOP products such as San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese – Nocerino DOP tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pasta etc. We’ll send a basket both to you and the person(s) you selected to surprise and honor.
Tomato soup with rice was a favorite in our mid-west home too, Judy! But this looks a bit more hearty like you said–even our local Safeway in Pearl City HI has Cento brand San Marzano tomatoes, there is a reason obviously, they are the best!
SHARE A RECIPE ON MY INSTAGRAM PAGE AND PLAY ALONG! @DIVINACUCINA- THE RULES ARE ABOVE