Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Cut open the tomatoes, arrange them cut side up on a roasting pan. Peel and divide the shallots in a half, then add them into the roasting pan along with the tomatoes.

Dress with salt, pepper and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Slow roast the tomatoes for one hour, then blend the tomatoes until creamy. Adjust the seasoning.

Set aside until you need it. This can be made in advance, keep it in the fridge until ready to make the risotto.

Mince the shallots (if you do not feel to master the knife skills properly, use a cutter, but do not chop it too much or it will become a mush).

Pour the olive oil in a saucepan, add the butter, the minced shallot onion and half a teaspoon of salt: the salt will help you to cook the shallot without burning it. Sauté the shallot over low heat until it becomes translucent and soft. Just a few minutes will be enough.

Add the rice and toast it. Stir it with a wooden spoon into the sautéed shallots and let it toast, always stirring, over medium-low heat, until the rice will be translucent, almost pearly. If you listen carefully to the pot, your will hear it crackle imperceptibly. Another tip to see if the rice is ready is to hold a few grains between your fingers. When they are too hot to handle, they are nicely toasted. Again, a few minutes will be enough.

Pour the white wine over the rice: let it evaporate, stirring with the wooden spoon, until the rice has absorbed it.

Now cook the risotto by pouring the hot water in at least 4 times. Cook the risotto over medium-low heat, stirring very often. Doing this, the risotto will become creamier thanks to the starch released by the rice.

Halfway through the cooking, when you have used about half of the hot water, add the tomato purée.

Keep on adding the hot water to cook the rice. The whole process will take about 15-18 minutes, not more, so remember to taste the risotto every now and then. It will be ready when you feel it soft, but still with a hard soul inside, slightly al dente.

When you have finished the hot water, or maybe you’ll have just a tiny bit left, and when the rice will be cooked but still al dente, remove the risotto from the heat, add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and half of the stracciatella, and stir well. This is what we call mantecare, in Italian, which means almost to cream the butter and cheese into the rice. Taste it one last time to see if it still needs a little salt and you are ready to serve it.

Top each bowl of risotto with the remaining stracciatella, sprinkle with black pepper and serve immediately.