Pesto Risotto with Seared Shrimp

First you’ll roast the tomatoes for the risotto. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on just a pinch of salt. Roast at 400 F for 30-40 minutes until the tomatoes are wilted and slightly charred.

As the tomatoes roast you can make the pesto. Combine all of the pesto ingredients in a small food processor or blender and puree. Taste, and add salt to your preference.

While the tomatoes are roasting, you can also start to make the risotto. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the onion, crushed red pepper, and a sprinkle of salt to a skillet over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring, until the onion softens but doesn’t turn brown at the edges. Add the garlic and rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, to soften the garlic and coat the rice in the butter. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the wine and stir until completely absorbed. Then, stirring as you go, add the stock 2/3 cup at a time, waiting to add the next 2/3 cup until the prior one is absorbed. Do this for about 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through.

When the risotto is done, heat a separate skillet to medium-high heat with the remaining tablespoon of butter (you’ll use this for the shrimp in a second).

Stir the pesto and spinach leaves into the risotto and turn off the heat.

Add the shrimp into the hot pan with the melted butter and cook for 1 minute until just browned, then flip. As soon as you flip the shrimp, add the reserved wine into the skillet and stir. Cook the shrimp for 1-2 minutes more until just cooked through and most of the wine has evaporated.

To serve, make a bed of the risotto on each plate. Top with a few shrimp, and garnish as desired with Parmesan, pine nuts, the roasted tomatoes, and a lemon wedge.