Roasted Pumpkin Risotto

I love pumpkin and squash – they are vegetables that truly know how to satisfy and are properly versatile, admittedly because they can be somewhat neutral tasting. This month, I decided to go for roasted pumpkin risotto. The Italian in me finds risotto a perfectly satisfying all-in-one meal for the winter months, and you can make it with any seasonal ingredient. Once you get the hang of the basic recipe you will see that it really isn’t that difficult – it’s all about keeping an eye on the rice. Remember though – the rice must be al dente (in other words, creamy but “firm to the bite”) – risotto MUST NEVER be mushy!

To really bring out the flavour of pumpkin it is best to roast it in the oven first – I like to keep some pieces whole and puree the rest (to add in at the end). Since pumpkin can be a little neutral, this is the basic skeleton recipe but I suggest to let your creative side loose. For instance, add fresh herbs like sage (a classic) or spices like nutmeg, coriander seed or cumin. Or try associating it with various cheeses – a classic combination is with blue cheese. Or adding nicely toasted hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds or walnuts for a little crunch. I also like associating it with bitter greens like dandelion leaves, roquette or kale.

Ingredients

Serves 4

450g of seasonal pumpkin cut into wedges. Cut several of the wedges into small cubes about 1cm wide and the rest you can keep as wedges for pureeing. Butternut squash or Kabocha squash are great alternatives. Kabocha gives it a wonderful chestnut flavour – it is my favourite squash.
1 medium white onion or 2-3 shallots
1-2 clover of garlic (optional)
100g of organic butter (you can use olive oil if you want to keep it vegan)
1.5 litres light chicken or vegetable stock
380g of risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli) – these rices are specially made for risotto and give it its signature al dente creaminess
125ml white wine or 50ml dry vermouth
60g freshly grated parmesan (optional but soooo good)
Olive oil
nutmeg or sage (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Make It!

Put the pumpkin on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Bake at 200C for 30–40 minutes or until it is tender and golden brown. The small cubed pieces are likely to be ready before the wedges so make sure you keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Once cooked, set the cubed pieces aside and scrape the flesh from the skin on the larger wedges. Puree the scraped off flesh and set it aside. Keep them warm.
Warm the stock in a separate pan.
Peel and dice the onion/shallots and garlic finely. Melt 50g of the butter or heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a pan with relatively high sides over a low heat, add the onion/shallots, garlic and a bit of salt and cook slowly until soft and translucent. Turn up the heat, add the rice and stir so each grain is glistening with butter/oil and begins to take on some colour. It must not burn, but you need to start to smell the nuttiness of the rice coming through. Add the wine, which will seethe and be absorbed by the rice.
When the wine is fully absorbed/evaporated, add a ladleful of warm stock and stir slowly until it is absorbed. Add the bay leaf and nutmeg at this time if desired. If you are using whole spices like coriander seed or cumin, add them in the beginning with the onion/shallots and garlic so they can release their flavours.
Continue adding the stock, only adding the next ladleful when the previous one has been absorbed. Don’t take your eyes off the rice – it must not dry out. After about 10-12 minutes start tasting to verify how the rice is cooking. Season to taste. Once the rice is tender, but still al dente, add the last ladleful of stock.
Once this is almost absorbed add the cubed pumpkin pieces and pureed pumpkin, stir well, and cook for another minute. The consistency should be creamy so you might need a little more stock. Turn off the heat, add the rest of the butter (or a tablespoon of olive oil) and the parmesan (if desired), then whip vigorously with a wooden spoon until the risotto is creamy and glossy. Taste and season if necessary. Leave to sit for a minute, stir again and serve into plates. Add any pumpkin seeds, nuts or bitter greens on top. Serve with extra parmesan and freshly ground pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

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