Cuttlefish and Tomato Risotto

Name: Cuttlefish and Tomato Risotto
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Whole rice 1 ¾ cup; Cuttlefish to clean 2 lbs; Canned tomatoes 1.7 cups; Garlic 2 cloves; Dry white wine 3 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Carrots 1; Celery 1 rib; Shallot 1; Water to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Lemon peel to grate to taste; Rosemary to taste

Gluten Free
Lactose Free

Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Serving: 4

PRESENTATION

Cuttlefish and tomato risotto builds on a pairing that already pulls its weight across a range of dishes—braised cuttlefish, stuffed cuttlefish—where the two ingredients have long worked together without needing much else. Here they move into a first course made with whole grain rice rather than the standard white, a choice the source makes deliberately: the grain adds fiber and substance while leaving the combination itself untouched. The result is something wholesome and genuinely satisfying rather than a lighter or leaner substitute for a richer dish. The detail that actually changes what lands in the bowl is a homemade cuttlefish broth used as the cooking liquid throughout.

Made separately before the rice goes in, it carries an intense, clean sea flavor into every grain in a way that plain water or store-bought stock cannot replicate. The source calls it a small trick, which undersells it slightly—once you've tasted the finished risotto, it reads less like a technique and more like the obvious way to cook the dish. Both elements together, the whole grain rice and the broth, give this version a depth and character that set it apart from more straightforward seafood risottos.

INGREDIENTS

Whole rice 1 ¾ cup (320 g)

Cuttlefish 2 lbs (900 g) - to clean

Canned tomatoes 1.7 cups (400 g)

Garlic 2 cloves

Dry white wine 3 oz (80 g)

Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

For the cuttlefish broth: Carrots 1; Celery 1 rib; Shallot 1; Water to taste; Extra virgin olive oil to taste

For garnishing: Lemon peel to taste - to grate; Rosemary to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Cuttlefish and Tomato Risotto

To make the cuttlefish and tomato risotto, first How to clean cuttlefish: separate the head, which corresponds to the part with the tentacles, from the mantle 1. To gently clean the mantle, you will need to pull out both the bone and the ink sack, if present, from the opening. Remove the fins too, as you will need them for the broth 2. Now grab the head to remove the eyes and beak 3.

Rinse everything under running water 4. At this point, separate the tentacles from the rest of the head and chop them into pieces 5. For the broth, in addition to the fins, keep the remaining parts of the head: you will need a total of 400 g, add more tentacles if necessary. You can cut the mantles into julienne strips 6 to combine them with the remaining tentacles.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, flavor the oil with a clove of garlic in its skin and the rosemary sprigs 7, then add the julienne-cut mantles and tentacles 8. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes before deglazing with 1.5 oz of white wine 9.

Cover with the lid and cook on low heat for about 45-60 minutes, until they are tender 10; if necessary, you can add a ladle of water. Once cooked, strain the cooking liquid and set it aside 11. Put the cuttlefish back in the saucepan to keep them warm. Season with salt and pepper 12.

While the cuttlefish are cooking, you can prepare the broth: peel the carrots and chop them coarsely 13, then do the same with the celery 14 and shallot 15.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a pot, then add the 400 g of reserved cuttlefish 16 and the vegetables 17. Sauté for 5 minutes, then cover with water 18 and simmer with the lid for about 20 minutes.

When cooking is finished 19, strain the obtained broth 20 and add it to the reserved cooking liquid of the other cuttlefish 21. Keep everything warm.

You are ready to cook the risotto: in a large saucepan, flavor the oil with a crushed clove of garlic 22, then remove the garlic and add the rice 23. Toast the rice over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often 34.

When the grains are hot, deglaze with 1.5 oz of white wine 25, then pour in the tomato purée 26 and mix well 27.

At this point, cook the rice by adding one ladle of broth at a time 28; it will take about 20 minutes. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper, then stir in a drizzle of raw oil 29. Finally, add the cooked cuttlefish 30.

Stir to combine everything 31, then plate it garnished with grated lemon zest 32 and a few rosemary needles. Your cuttlefish and tomato risotto is ready to be served 33!