Creamy Tomato Risotto with Meatballs and Parmesan
This tomato-y risotto topped with oven-baked meatballs is inspired by a childhood favorite: Spaghetti-O's.
Serves4 to 6
Prep30 minutes
Cook30 minutes
When I was a kid, my favorite weekend lunch was a can of SpaghettiOs cooked in the microwave. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed the ring-shaped pasta swimming in tomato sauce, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t still sound really good to me. Enter: this SpaghettiOs-inspired dinner.
I’m not saying I’m too cool for SpaghettiOs now (I’m definitely not), but I do have more culinary skills than I did when I was 6 — so I put them to use by creating a tomato-y version of classic Italian risotto. A whole can of tomato paste is toasted with garlic, onion, and dried oregano before being deglazed with white wine, and each bowl is topped with mini meatballs and Parmesan cheese. It’s everything I love about my childhood favorite, transformed into a grown-up meal that feels a little fancy.
My #1 Tip for the Best Homemade Risotto
My favorite thing about risotto is how creamy it becomes as it cooks, especially considering you don’t add any actual cream. For super-smooth results every time, I always use a wooden spoon for stirring — it’s a tip I learned working in a prep kitchen. Because wood is more porous than other materials, it’s more abrasive on the surface of the rice, which removes the starchy outer coating of each grain and creates a creamier texture. If you’ve got a wooden spoon with a hole in the middle (I like this one), even better! It allows you to stir constantly without breaking as many grains.
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. My suggestion would be to turn any leftover risotto into arancini. (But if you’re anything like me, leftovers aren’t likely.)
Tester’s Note
This really was a fun recipe that brought me back to my childhood eating tiny pasta Os drowned in tomato sauce that came out of a can. The meatballs are flavorful and tender and help stretch the risotto to feed more people (and leftover meatballs are always a favorite at my house!). Make sure to chop the onions really fine so they mix really well into the ground beef, and eat the tomato risotto while hot! No one likes gummy risotto. —Christine Gallery, Food Editor-at-Large
Tomato Risotto & Meatballs
This tomato-y risotto topped with oven-baked meatballs is inspired by a childhood favorite: Spaghetti-O's.
Prep time 30 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup
whole or 2% milk
- 1
large egg
- 1/2 cup
fine, dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1
small yellow onion
- 4 cloves
garlic
- 1 handful
fresh parsley sprigs
- 1 pound
80% lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup
grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces), divided, plus more for serving
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon
olive oil
- 1 (32-ounce) box
full-salt chicken broth or stock
- 2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups
arborio rice
- 1/2 teaspoon
dried oregano
- 1 (6-ounce) can
tomato paste
- 1/2 cup
dry white wine
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place 1/4 cup milk and 1 large egg in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and stir until evenly moistened. Finely chop 1 small onion (about 1 1/3 cups), mince 4 garlic cloves, and finely chop enough fresh parsley leaves to have 1 tablespoon, plus a little more for garnish.
Add 1/2 cup of the chopped onion, half of the garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 pound ground beef, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to the moistened breadcrumbs. Using your hands, gently squeeze and mix together until well combined.
Divide the mixture into 24 portions (scant 2 tablespoons each) and place on the baking sheet. Roll each portion between damp hands to form meatballs. Arrange them evenly apart and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast until cooked through and browned, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the risotto.
Heat 1 box chicken broth in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and keep warm. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a Dutch oven or large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining onion and garlic, and season with 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is nearly translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add 1 1/2 cups arborio rice and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute more. Add 1 can tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and starting to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup dry white wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting the rice absorb the liquid after each addition before adding the next. It should take about 5 minutes between each addition, 20 to 25 minutes total. If you run out of broth, add water as needed. Once the rice is al dente (tender with a little bite in the center) and has the consistency of a creamy porridge, remove from the heat.
Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Taste and season with more kosher salt as needed. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls, top with a few meatballs, a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, and more chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The meatballs can be formed and refrigerated up to a few hours ahead. The texture of the risotto is best when served immediately.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days.