Creamy and stringy like the classic mozzarella risotto, the buckwheat risotto with tomato and mozzarella is a simple, tasty, and naturally gluten-free first course. It’s an excellent alternative to rice, perfect for those who are celiac or want to vary their diet without giving up the typical creaminess of risotto.
Buckwheat grains have a delicate and quite neutral taste, which goes well with many condiments: I often use it in soups (like the buckwheat and bean soup), in salads (like the buckwheat salad with tuna and vegetables), or even in the gluten-free pastiera. In this recipe, I propose it “risottato”, meaning cooked like a traditional risotto and enriched with tomato and stringy mozzarella. Buckwheat risotto is a nutritious dish, different from the usual and easily customizable: you can try it in the basic version like this one, or take inspiration from classic risottos: pumpkin, porcini mushrooms, zucchini. If you’re looking for an original idea to vary the menu, buckwheat risotto with tomato and mozzarella is the ideal recipe: creamy, stringy, and gluten-free.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 451.46 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 51.61 (g) of which sugars 0.57 (g)
- Proteins 19.36 (g)
- Fat 21.06 (g) of which saturated 10.09 (g)of which unsaturated 6.19 (g)
- Fibers 7.34 (g)
- Sodium 454.08 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 270 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Pizzaiola Style Buckwheat Risotto
- 9 oz buckwheat
- 10 oz tomato puree
- 5 oz mozzarella
- to taste vegetable broth (about 7 oz)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 oz butter
- 1/4 onion
- 2 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 2 leaves basil
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Strainer
- 1 Pan nonstick high-edge
- 1 Spoon
How to Prepare Pizzaiola Style Buckwheat Risotto
To prepare the buckwheat risotto with tomato and mozzarella, if you are celiac, pay attention to what’s written on the label: although buckwheat grains are naturally gluten-free, they may state ‘may contain traces of gluten’ because they might be packaged in facilities that handle non-allowed cereals. In this case, simply examine each grain, remove any different cereals, place the buckwheat in a strainer and rinse it thoroughly under running water (1).
Finely chop the onion and put it in a nonstick pan with the olive oil. Let it sauté gently (2). At this point, add the buckwheat (3) and toast it for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then, deglaze with a bit of hot vegetable broth. Also, add the tomato puree (4). Add a pinch of salt, a couple of fresh basil leaves, and cook the buckwheat just like a risotto, stirring often and adding more hot broth when the previously added broth has been absorbed (5). For cooking times, follow the package instructions for the buckwheat, but also taste it occasionally: mine was ready in about 13 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into cubes (6).
When the buckwheat is soft and has absorbed the seasoning (7), move on to the finishing: turn off the heat and first add the butter in pieces (8), stirring carefully to incorporate it into the buckwheat. Then, add the grated parmesan (9).
Stir it carefully as well, then finally add the mozzarella cubes (10), stirring immediately to make it melt and start to be stringy (11).
Serve the buckwheat risotto with tomato and mozzarella immediately, hot, as a creamy and stringy first course.
Tips and Variations
You can customize the recipe to your liking, for example by replacing the mozzarella with smoked scamorza, or by adding crumbled sausage to the initial onion sauté.
