Caprese Risotto — a plant-based Italian recipe by BOSH!
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Caprese Risotto

Caprese risotto is one of those recipes we keep coming back to when we want something that feels properly impressive but is actually totally doable. It's got everything we love about a classic caprese: sweet tomatoes, fragrant basil, and rich, creamy vibes, all folded into a silky, slow-cooked risotto that's genuinely next level. The homemade pesto stirred through at the end is the moment the whole thing comes alive; trust us on this one. It's the kind of dinner that makes you feel like you're sitting somewhere in Italy, even if you're just at your kitchen table on a Tuesday night. Make this one.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Food processor or blender
  • Large frying pan
  • Small bowl (for food processor)

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 250g Arborio risotto rice
  • 200ml white wine
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 250g cherry tomatoes
  • 50g plant-based butter
  • 50g plant-based parmesan
  • 100g good quality plant-based burrata
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 25g fresh basil
  • 20g pine nuts
  • 15g plant-based parmesan
  • 75ml olive oil

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Mince the garlic
  • Chop the capers
  • Halve the tomatoes
  • Grate the parmesan
  • Pick the basil leaves
2

Make the pesto

  • Place the basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan and olive oil in the small bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse combined
3

Cook the risotto

  • Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat with the olive oil
  • Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, then add the garlic, capers and tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes
  • Add the rice and cherry tomatoes stirring through to coat, then pour over the wine and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes
  • Pour in the vegetable stock, 1 ladle at a time, mixing until the liquid is absorbed, you may need to add more water until the rice is cooked through and loose with a porridge like consistency
  • Stir through the butter and parmesan cheese and taste to season with salt and pepper
  • The risotto should have a creamy consistency, like loose porridge and will thicken as it cools
4

Finish and serve

  • Spoon the burrata over the risotto and drizzle over the pesto to serve
  • Garnish with basil leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil

Tips & Variations

  • Use warm stock: Always add your stock warm or hot, not cold straight from the fridge. Cold stock slows the cooking and can make the risotto gluey. We usually keep a pan of it on a low heat on the hob next to the risotto.
  • Don't rush the stir: Risotto rewards patience. Keep stirring regularly and add the stock one ladle at a time, letting each one absorb before adding the next. It's what gives you that gorgeous creamy texture.
  • Pesto shortcut: If you're really short on time, a good quality shop-bought vegan pesto works here too. We won't tell anyone. But the homemade version is worth it when you can.

Why This Works

The trick here is building flavour slowly from the very start, getting the onion and garlic properly softened before the rice even goes in. What really makes this sing is that fresh blitzed pesto stirred through right at the end, it keeps everything vibrant and herby rather than getting lost in the cook. The capers add this little hit of briny sharpness that cuts through the creaminess and honestly takes the whole thing to another level.