Roasted Bruschetta Salmon & Pesto Risotto

We recently purchased a new home, and I wanted to draw up a menu worthy of a bit of celebration. For an upscale date-night in, I usually spring for steaks. But on the heels of Thanksgiving, I was feeling a bit heavy, and thought a light piece of fish might be just the ticket.

Roasted Salmon is all too easy and boy, does it wow the crowd! Often, I like to glaze a salmon fillet with some kind of sticky, sweet soy sauce. But I had a nice bottle of red wine in the cupboard, and it called for something more Italian inspired!

Center-cut salmon fillets are simply roasted with olive oil and slices of lemon. To serve as a sauce, I made a classic tomato bruschetta - tomato, fresh basil, and garlic - but with a spin... roasted! After a few minutes in the oven, the tomatoes release their juices and sweeten up making the perfect warm sauce to spoon over the fish.

And since every great meal must come with some kinda carb, I thought a simple risotto would compliment the Bruschetta Salmon nicely. Swirls of pesto pack a fresh, flavor punch in this risotto!

While there are multiple components of this dish, every step of the way couldn't be easier. You'll have that celebratory dinner on the table in no time!

Roasted Bruschetta Salmon & Pesto Risotto

Ingredients

For the salmon

· 2 center-cut portions of salmon (about 1lb)

· 6 thin slices of lemon

· Olive oil

· Salt & pepper

For the roasted bruschetta

· 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved

· 1 garlic clove, minced

· 1 tbsp olive oil

· 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

· Salt & pepper

· 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

For the risotto

· 1 tbsp olive oil

· ½ small onion, chopped fine

· ¾ cup Arborio rice

· ¼ tsp salt

· 2 cups chicken stock

· 1/4 cup dry white wine

· 1 tbsp butter

· ¼ cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

· Pepper to taste

· ½ recipe of Lemon Pesto

Preheat oven to 425F.

For the salmon… line a baking sheet with foil and grease with non-stick spray. Place the salmon fillets on the pan. Lightly drizzle the tops of the salmon with olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top each of the fillets with 3 slices of lemon. Set aside.

For the bruschetta… in a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread the tomatoes out onto the pan to the side of the salmon. Take care to leave the excess oil and vinegar in the bowl instead of pouring onto the baking sheet. Set aside.

For the risotto… Heat olive oil over medium low heat in a deep skillet or dutch oven. Sautee the onion until translucent. Add the rice and season with salt. Toast the rice until slightly brown.

In a separate sauce pot, bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer.

Deglaze the pan with white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has evaporated, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken stock a ½ cup at a time. Add more chicken stock once the previous half cup has absorbed into the rice. Stir rice periodically. Continue to add chicken stock until the rice is al dente. The risotto should be relatively loose in consistency – not gloppy – add chicken stock as necessary to thin the dish.

While preparing the risotto, roast the salmon and tomatoes for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully remove the tomatoes from the pan and add to a small bowl with the fresh basil. Continue to roast the salmon for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through but still moist.

To finish the risotto, stir in the butter and pecorino. Once the butter has melted, remove from the heat and season to taste with pepper. Spoon dollops of pesto across the top of the risotto. Using the back of a spoon, swirl the pesto into the risotto.

Serve the roasted salmon over top of the risotto. Spoon the warm tomato bruschetta over the salmon.

Serves 2

GF Friendly

Gluten Free Friendly!