Author Notes
I'm harvesting beautiful grape and cherry tomatoes right now and thought about a risotto like dish using quinoa. Add some basil and a little cheese and you've got "Quinotto"! —inpatskitchen
Ingredients
- For the roasted tomatoes and garlic
-
2 cups
grape or small cherry tomatoes (or a combination of both)
-
2
large cloves garlic left in their skins
-
4 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
-
Salt and pepper
- For the quinotto
-
1 cup
quinoa, rinsed and drained well
-
3 tablespoons
butter
-
The previously roasted garlic cloves
-
1/2 cup
dry white wine
-
3 cups
warm chicken broth (I think vegetable broth would work also)
-
The roasted tomatoes
-
1/4 cup
finely grated parmesan cheese
-
1/2 cup
thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
-
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- For the roasted tomatoes and garlic
-
Place the tomatoes and garlic cloves in a small roasting pan and add the oil and a little salt and pepper. Roll everything around to coat and then roast in a 400F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes begin to shrivel a bit. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- For the quinotto
-
Squeeze the garlic from their skins and then mash and chop it.
-
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan and then add the quinoa and garlic and stir to coat all the grains.
-
Over medium heat, add the wine and cook while stirring frequently until the wine is absorbed into the quinoa.
-
Now add a ladle of chicken broth and stir while cooking until the broth absorbs into the quinoa. Keep repeating until the quinoa is cooked. (You may not need all of the broth) This may take about 30 minutes. You want the mix to be loose and not dry.
-
Gently stir in the cheese, tomatoes and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
-
NOTE TO COOK: You can stir in a bit of cream at the end for a creamier version if you like...I'd say about 1/4 cup.
I think I get my love for food and cooking from my mom, who was an amazing cook. She would start baking and freezing a month before Christmas in order to host our huge open house on Christmas afternoon. I watched and I learned...to this day I try not to procrastinate when it comes to entertaining.
My cooking style is pretty much all over the place, although I'm definitely partial to Greek and Italian cuisine. Oh yes, throw a little Cajun in there too!
See what other Food52ers are saying.