Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto

If you want a proper winter warmer, this Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto is the perfect comfort food.

And to make life even easier, it’s also cooked in the slow cooker meaning minimal effort – with big flavour rewards.

This slow cooker tomato risotto is gluten free, coeliac-safe and easy to adapt to be dairy free and vegan too.

It’s a great budget meal using tinned tomatoes and the slow cooker is a great, energy-efficient way to throw it together.

Plus any leftovers are great for making gluten free arancini, which is essentially balls of leftover risotto coated in gluten free breadcrumbs and baked or fried.

Once you’ve made this tomato and mascarpone risotto once you’re going to want to make it over and over again.

I know tomato and mascarpone is probably more traditionally associated with a pasta sauce but risotto is a great naturally gluten free alternative.

It’s creamy and delicious and you’re going to love it – scroll down for the recipe card and check out the blog post for my top tips and substitutions.

Ingredients and substitutions

This tomato and mascarpone risotto is great because it only needs a few simple ingredients to make.

This keeps the costs down and makes it a great one when the cupboards are looking a bit bare.

There’s a printable recipe card below with the quantities and methods but here are the main ingredients and ideas for substitutions.

Arborio Rice – Rice is naturally gluten free and I always use arborio rice in risottos for the best texture. You can use a long grain or basmati rice but you’ll find it won’t have the same creamy texture.

Vegetable Stock – There are lots of gluten free vegetable stock options out there but always make sure you double check the ingredients. I tend to go for Knorr stock as it’s labelled gluten free but any gluten free vegetable stock will work. You can also use chicken stock too.

Tinned Chopped Tomatoes – If I’m feeling fancy I’ll go for a more expensive tin of finely chopped tomatoes or even tinned cherry tomatoes. But honestly, any tinned tomatoes work.

Red Onion – This gives some flavour to the risotto but you can use a brown onion or shallots if you prefer.

Chopped Garlic – I always use frozen chopped garlic for ease. You can use garlic paste or even finely chop or crush 3 garlic cloves.

Olive Oil – I use this for a little extra flavour. You can omit it if you like but I would always cook risotto in a pan with olive oil, so I like to add it to the slow cooker too.

Mascarpone – This is of course optional if you want this recipe to be dairy free or vegan. Ricotta or feta also add a lovely dimension to this tomato risotto.

Is a slow cooker economical?

I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of living and looking for cheaper alternative to turning on the gas or electric oven.

The good news is slow cookers are actually pretty efficient to run!

I’ve done a bit of research online and it looks like a slow cooker costs roughly 16p a day to run, compared to 87p a day for an electric cooker.

It seems slow cookers, microwaves and air fryers are ultimately a cheaper option, which is why I think you’ll love this recipe so much!

Which slow cooker do you use?

I use a Crockpot 3.7-litre slow cooker I was gifted from a family member – I think this is the newer model of mine.

I’m addicted to making things in the slow cooker at the moment, including my chickpea and potato curry and my slow cooker pulled pork.

I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of living and looking for cheaper alternative to turning on the gas or electric oven.

The good news is slow cookers are actually pretty efficient to run!

I’ve done a bit of research online and it looks like a slow cooker costs roughly 16p a day to run, compared to 87p a day for an electric cooker.

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

This tomato and mascarpone risotto can be made on the hob if you don’t have a slow cooker but it’s a little more hands on.

You’ll firstly need to fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft.

Next add the tomatoes and rice and stir well until coated. Then, keeping your stock hot throughout, add a ladle at a time to the pan.

Keep stirring the risotto, adding another ladle once the stock is almost absorbed, until it has all been used.

Lastly, stir in the mascarpone before serving up. For a more detailed method, you can copy the basics from my other risotto recipes.

Check out my butternut squash and chorizo risotto or my prawn and chorizo risotto for some more ideas and risotto-cooking tips.

I’m fairly new to cooking risotto in the slow cooker and I have to say I rate it – it makes life a lot easier than standing over a hot pan for half an hour-or-so!

My tomato and mascarpone risotto recipe

This slow cooker tomato and mascarpone risotto recipe is a great family meal which is cheap and easy to make.

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and you can easily size the recipe up or down – this base recipe serves 4 people.

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your creations!

And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.

Need more slow cooker recipe inspiration?

Here are some more gluten free slow cooker recipes you can try out once you’ve made this Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto.

• Slow Cooker Harissa Chicken Stew
• Chickpea and Potato Curry (Slow Cooker Recipe)
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

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