Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7. Boil a full kettle.

Halve, peel and chop the shallot into small pieces. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, wide-bottomed ovenproof pan on medium-high heat. TIP: If you don't have an ovenproof pan, use a normal pan and transfer to an ovenproof dish before baking.

Pour in the boiled water for the risotto (see pantry for amount) and veg stock paste. Stir in the baby plum tomatoes and bring back to the boil.

Pop a lid on the pan (or cover with foil). Bake on the middle shelf of your oven until the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed, 25-30 mins.

Meanwhile, grate the Cheddar cheese.

While the risotto bakes, halve the lemon (see ingredients for the amount) and squeeze the lemon juice into a large bowl.

Add the sugar and olive oil for the dressing (see pantry for both amounts) to the bowl and mix together. Set aside.

When the risotto is cooked, remove it from the oven and mix in the sun-dried tomato paste, a squeeze of lemon, hard Italian style cheese and a knob of butter (if you have any). 

Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. TIP: Add a splash of water to loosen the risotto if needed.

Add the baby leaves to the bowl of dressing and toss to coat.

Share the risotto between your plates or bowls and serve with the salad alongside. Sprinkle over the grated Cheddar to finish.

Enjoy!