FOOD FRIDAY - PUMPKIN RISOTTO

“Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook” – Chinese Proverb
 
Autumn is with us and there is a wealth of autumn vegetables available fresh at the greengrocer’s. The pumpkins, squash and zucchini are at their best this season, so why not try this delicious recipe for pumpkin risotto?
 
Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
 
1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
4 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch rosemary leaves picked, roughly chopped
1½ L vegetable stock
50g butter
1 onion , finely chopped
300g Arborio risotto rice
1 small glass white wine
100g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
 
Method
First prepare the pumpkin. Heat oven to 220˚C/fan-forced. Toss the pumpkin in 2 tbsp oil together with the chopped rosemary. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until pumpkin is cooked and soft.
 
While the pumpkin is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 minutes until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
 
Pour in the wine and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked. The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.
 
When the pumpkin is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir though the purée, then add the cheese and butter and leave to rest for a few minutes. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of pumpkin.
 
This post is part of the Food Friday meme,
and also part of the Food Trip Friday meme.