The eggplant and smoked cheese risotto is a simple and delicious first course, ideal every time you want a tasty and different dish. Gooey and creamy – despite being without butter – the eggplant and smoked cheese risotto combines the slightly bitter taste of eggplant with the sweeter and savory flavor of the smoked cheese; a touch of tomato sauce not only adds color but balances the dish with light acidity. The preparation is really simple and quite quick: I chose to sauté the eggplants in a pan, but if you prefer, you can opt for fried eggplants, which should be well drained of oil. The rest of the procedure involves preparing a classic risotto with vegetable broth and tomato, to which cubes of smoked cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan are added towards the end for perfect creaminess!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Eggplant and Smoked Cheese Risotto
- 1 black oval eggplant (about 1 lb)
- 1/4 onion
- 1 1/2 cups Carnaroli rice
- 1/3 cup tomato sauce
- 4.5 oz smoked cheese
- 2 tbsps Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (grated)
- 2 leaves mint
- 1 leaf basil
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste vegetable broth
Tools
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pan non-stick
- 1 Ladle slotted
How to Make Eggplant and Smoked Cheese Risotto
To make the eggplant and smoked cheese risotto, start by washing the eggplant. Dry it, remove the stem, and cut it into cubes (1). In a large non-stick pan – you can also use the same one you’ll use to cook the risotto – pour the oil (2) and heat it well. Then add the eggplant (3).
Slightly salt the eggplant, season with a bit of mint, and cook for 7-8 minutes on high heat, stirring often, until tender (4). Drain them with a slotted ladle and set aside. In the same cooking base, add the finely chopped onion and let it stew gently for about a minute (5). Then add the rice (6).
Toast over high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, then deglaze with a ladleful of hot vegetable broth (7). Add tomato sauce, a basil leaf, and a pinch of salt (8). Cook the rice for about ten minutes, stirring often and adding a little hot broth each time the previous one is absorbed. Meanwhile, cut the smoked cheese into cubes that are not too large (9).
After 10 minutes, add the previously sautéed eggplant (10). Continue to cook the eggplant risotto for about 5-6 minutes, always adding more hot broth when necessary. When the rice is cooked, allow the broth to be well absorbed (adjust according to taste, whether you prefer a thicker or more fluid risotto), add the smoked cheese (11) and stir briefly to melt it.
Turn off the heat and add the grated Parmesan (12). Stir carefully for about a minute to cream the risotto perfectly (13).
Serve the eggplant and smoked cheese risotto immediately.
Storage
If there are leftovers, you can store the risotto in the refrigerator in a glass container for a couple of days. You can then use it to make delicious supplì or crispy rice.
Tips and Variations
If you prefer a white risotto, you can omit the tomato. For a more distinctive flavor, you can use smoked cheese instead of regular white cheese.
