If you’re looking for a first course that can warm your heart, you absolutely have to try my pumpkin and stracchino risotto. In this recipe, you’ll discover how the sweetness of pumpkin blends beautifully with the tangy note and enveloping texture of stracchino.
It’s a vegetarian dish refined in its simplicity, perfect for a Sunday lunch or a dinner with friends. By following my steps, you’ll learn the trick to obtain the perfect creaminess and a super creamy risotto that will win everyone over at the first taste. Let’s get started! If you love pumpkin recipes, try out pasta with pumpkin cream, the creamy pumpkin pasta, the pumpkin and leek soup or the pumpkin and lentil soup.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter
Ingredients for Making Creamy Pumpkin and Stracchino Risotto
- 1.5 cups Carnaroli rice
- 3 tbsps chopped celery, carrot, and onion
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 7 oz pumpkin pulp
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 oz stracchino
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Steps for Making Creamy Pumpkin and Stracchino Risotto
First, wash the pumpkin, cut it into quarters, and carefully remove all the seeds and inner filaments. The secret to making it easy? Quickly steam it: this little trick will allow you to peel it with extreme ease. Once cleaned, cut the flesh into small pieces and set aside.
In a large pan or saucepan, heat the oil and add the chopped celery, carrot, and onion. Let it brown over low heat, then add the Carnaroli rice and let it toast for a couple of minutes until the grains become translucent. Deglaze with a dash of white wine (if you like) or directly with some hot vegetable broth.
Now add your pumpkin pieces and cook the rice by gradually adding the hot broth, one ladle at a time, waiting for it to be absorbed before adding more. Remember to stir often and adjust the salt if necessary.
When almost cooked, remove the pot from the heat: the creaming is always done off the flame! Add the very cold butter from the refrigerator and the Parmesan. After stirring vigorously, add the stracchino and the chopped parsley. Stir again until the stracchino has melted, creating a creamy texture. Let the risotto rest for a couple of minutes and serve it with a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
Tips for an Impeccable Result
Ice-cold Butter: Always use very cold butter for creaming. The thermal shock between the hot rice and the cold fat will create a perfect emulsion, making your risotto glossy and creamy like that of top chefs.
Choosing the Pumpkin: For a more intense flavor, I recommend Mantovana or Delica pumpkin. They are less watery and more sugary, ideal for slightly melting during cooking and creating a natural cream.
Vegetable Broth: Make your broth at home with celery, carrot, and onion. A good risotto depends 50% on the quality of the broth you use to moisten it!
Tasty Variations
Crunchy Touch: Before serving, add some chopped walnuts or crumbled amaretto on top of each plate. The contrast between the creaminess of the stracchino and the crunchiness is exceptional.
Forest Aroma: You can enrich the sauté with some dried porcini mushrooms rehydrated in water: the combination of pumpkin and mushrooms is a timeless classic.
Cheese Substitution: If you don’t have stracchino, you can use crescenza or taleggio (for a stronger flavor).
Storage
In the refrigerator: Risotto is best enjoyed freshly made. If you have leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container for 1 day.
Recycle Idea: If the risotto has thickened, don’t throw it away! You can form small patties, coat them in breadcrumbs, and fry them: you’ll get delicious pumpkin supplì.
Now It’s Your Turn
This pumpkin and stracchino risotto is my ace in the hole when I want to feel pampered. Its creaminess is indescribable!
If you make it, take a photo and tag me on social media or in the Creating is Learning group: I want to see your steaming dishes! And you, which cheese do you prefer to pair with pumpkin? Let me know in the comments below!
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I use Arborio rice?
Certainly, but Carnaroli holds up better to cooking and releases the right amount of starch for a more professional result.
Should the pumpkin disappear?
It depends on your tastes! If you prefer a more “orange” and homogeneous risotto, you can mash some pumpkin pieces with a fork during cooking.
Why add the stracchino at the end?
Stracchino is a very delicate cheese. If you add it too early, it would lose its creamy texture. Adding it at the end ensures that “stringy” and velvety effect.
