Italian tomato rice with olives

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 onion(s), red
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 200 g rice (risotto)
• 70 ml vegetable stock
• 5 black olives, pitted by hand
• 1 ½ tbsp butter
• salt and pepper
• Oregano, dried
• 3 basil leaves
• 1 can of tomatoes, diced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Parmesan, grated
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Heat a small pan over medium heat. Chop the garlic and onion. Sauté two-thirds of the garlic and one-third of the onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Pit and quarter the olives, then sauté them (I recommend using dried, pitted olives that aren’t in oil). Add the canned tomatoes and increase the heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium. Add the sugar and about 1 teaspoon of oregano. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pan and sauté the remaining onion and garlic over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until the risotto is translucent. Deglaze with half a glass of white wine or vegetable stock. Cook the risotto with the vegetable stock. It’s best to add enough vegetable stock to cover the risotto. Towards the end of the risotto’s cooking time, the tomato sauce should have thickened slightly. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper, and add the tomato paste. Remove the pan from the heat, tear the basil by hand, and stir it in. When the rice is cooked, add the tomato sauce to the risotto and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.