Now that we are in the right season, we cannot miss cooking a good pumpkin risotto. What I propose today is a simple yet not trivial main course. Its strength lies in the purity of the flavors and the natural creaminess achieved with pumpkin puree and cheese creaming. Serve it steaming hot, perhaps with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to complete it all. A tip though: the pumpkin must be good! If it’s not flavorful enough, the whole dish will suffer because it is the absolute star.
Other pumpkin main courses you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for the Pumpkin Risotto
- 1.75 cups Carnaroli rice
- 10.5 oz pumpkin flesh
- 1 shallot
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- vegetable broth
- 2.7 oz dry white wine
- 1.4 oz grated Grana Padano (or Parmesan)
- 0.7 oz butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
Tools
- 2 Pans
- 1 Immersion Blender
Preparing the Pumpkin Risotto
Clean the pumpkin by removing the skin, seeds, and all the internal filaments. Wash it, pat it dry with a paper towel, and cut it into cubes.
Peel the shallot and chop it finely. I used a manual cord chopper which I find really handy. If you wish to purchase it, you can find it by clicking HERE.
In a pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil, then add the pumpkin, a pinch of salt, a couple of tablespoons of hot broth, and a sprig of rosemary.
Cook over medium-low heat until the pumpkin is soft, adding more broth if necessary. Then remove the rosemary and blend the pumpkin with a hand blender, keeping some cubes whole. Set aside.
In a second pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the shallot over low heat. Then add the rice and let it toast for a couple of minutes.
Deglaze with white wine, and when it has evaporated, add a few ladles of boiling broth. Continue cooking by adding more broth as the previous one is absorbed.
Halfway through cooking, transfer the pumpkin puree into the rice pan and mix carefully to blend it perfectly. Continue by adding more broth when necessary.
Once cooked, cream the risotto with the grated cheese and butter. Adjust the salt if necessary.
Finally, cover and let the pumpkin risotto rest for a couple of minutes.
Serve the pumpkin risotto on individual plates, sprinkle with chopped rosemary sprigs, grind some black pepper on top, and serve immediately, very hot. Enjoy! Paola
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