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This Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto is the perfect comfort food for any season. A creamy tomato risotto swirled with mascarpone, and made in the slow cooker for ease! But don’t worry if you don’t have a slow cooker – there are instructions for the hob too!

A bowl of tomato and mascarpone risotto.
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My Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto is the dream budget meal, made using canned tomatoes, a few basic storecupboard ingredients and creamy mascarpone.

This slow cooker risotto naturally gluten free and making it in the crock pot makes it a really cost-effective family dinner.

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

This tomato mascarpone risotto recipe is creamy, delicious, easy to make and perfect for batch cooking and freezing.

Serve it up with some gluten free garlic bread, a cheeky side of gluten free oven chips or my 3-ingredient doughballs on the side.

And if you like this slow cooker risotto recipe be sure to check out some of my other recipes, like my Courgette and Lemon Risotto or Prawn and Chorizo Risotto.

Tomato and mascarpone risotto in a slow cooker.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This tomato and mascarpone risotto is great because it only needs a few simple ingredients to make. To make this slow cooker risotto you will need:

  • Arborio Rice: Rice is naturally gluten free and I always use arborio rice in risottos for the best texture.
  • Vegetable Stock: There are lots of gluten free vegetable stock options out there but always make sure you double check the ingredients. You can also use chicken stock.
  • 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 canned tomatoes work in this recipe.
  • Red Onion: 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 fresh minced garlic cloves.
  • Olive Oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for risotto recipes.
  • Mascarpone: This is optional if you want this recipe to be dairy free or vegan. Ricotta, cream cheese or feta also work well instead.
A bowl of tomato and mascarpone risotto on a pink backdrop.

How to make tomato and mascarpone risotto

There’s a printable recipe card below with the method, but here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this tomato and mascarpone risotto is to make:

Adding the ingredients for the tomato and mascarpone risotto to the slow cooker.

Add the rice, vegetable stock, tinned tomatoes, chopped red onion, garlic and olive oil to the slow cooker and stir well.

You can fry the onions in the extra virgin olive oil before adding if you like but I don’t feel there is any need to add unnecessary washing up!

Slow cook the risotto for 3 hours on high (or 5 hours on low). After this time, lift the lid and add the mascarpone cheese.

Stirring the mascarpone cheese into the tomato risotto in the slow cooker.

Stir well until the cheese has melted into the risotto – a few little lumps is fine. It adds a nice creamy burst of flavour to the risotto!

Serve the tomato and mascarpone risotto straight away, with a sprinkling of fresh parsley or torn fresh basil leaves to garnish, and some grated parmesan.

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.

Slow cooker and a bowl filled with tomato and mascarpone risotto.

Freezing and Storing

This tomato and mascarpone risotto is great for batch cooking – and can be frozen too.

Keep an leftovers in a tub in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat thoroughly before eating.

To freeze, portion the risotto into tubs and freeze for up to 6 months. You can reheat from frozen or defrost before reheating.

Any leftovers also are delicious made into gluten free arancini balls. Add a cheeky bit of mozzarella in the middle for a delicious tomato arancini!

Close up of a bowl of tomato and mascarpone risotto.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some FAQs about this easy tomato risotto recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!

What is the best slow cooker?

I have tried and tested a few slow cookers and I definitely have my favourites. I use my Morphy Richards Sear and Stew Cooker allll the time. It’s so handy because the pan is light, dishwasher-proof and can be used on the hob too. When I’m cooking a big meal (like a whole chicken or a large ham joint) I use my large Crockpot instead.

Can you cook risotto in a slow cooker?

Yes you can! Just be sure to follow the timings in this recipe accurately as when you overcook risotto in the slow cooker it can become stodgy. But cooking a crockpot risotto is a great way to save on time and energy!

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.

A bowl of tomato and mascarpone risotto.
5 from 8 votes

Slow Cooker Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto

This slow cooker tomato and mascarpone risotto is such an easy dinner and a great meat free, gluten free, budget recipe. To make this recipe dairy free/vegan simply omit the mascarpone or use a vegan equivalent.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 250 g arborio rice
  • 1 litre gluten free vegetable stock
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 125 g mascarpone

Instructions 

  • As an optional first step, you can fry the onions in the extra virgin olive oil before adding them to the slow cooker. But I don't feel there is any need to add unnecessary washing up!
  • Add the rice, vegetable stock, chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, garlic and olive oil to the slow cooker and stir well.
  • Slow cook the risotto for 3 hours on high (or 5 hours on low). After this time, lift the lid and add the mascarpone cheese.
  • Stir well until the cheese has melted into the risotto – a few little lumps is fine. It adds a nice creamy burst of flavour to the risotto!
  • Serve the tomato and mascarpone risotto straight away, with a sprinkling of fresh parsley to garnish.

Notes

  • No slow cooker? See the blog post above for notes on how to cook this tomato risotto recipe on the hob too!
  • Freezing and Storing: This recipe is great for batch cooking and meal prep! Check out the FAQs above this recipe card for storage instructions and how to freeze this slow cooker risotto.
  • Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Tomato and Mascarpone Risotto!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g
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About Sarah Howells

Hi, I'm Sarah! Diagnosed with coeliac disease 20 years ago, I'm on a mission to create the best gluten free recipes since sliced bread. No fruit salads or dry brownies here.

5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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