Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto alla Zucca)

Mmmmm, Pumpkin Risotto! It was one of my first acquired recipes while living in Italy and one of my favorites! The Autumn, with its sunny days and cold nights is the perfect time to enjoy this Autumn vegetable while it warms your home and your family. Pumpkin Risotto is like eating macaroni and cheese, the color is orange and the texture creamy. The addition of butter and parmesan at the end adds that cheesy goodness that we all crave.

The “Italian kitchen” is not very familiar with cooking pumpkin desserts while the American kitchen is not very familiar with cooking pumpkin main dishes. Although I think we are catching up! With wonderful dishes such as Curry Pumpkin and Pumpkin Raviolis, pumpkin has started to appear on our dinner menus. Don’t get me wrong, I am still absolutely in love with the spiced pumpkin desserts that we all know and love like pumpkin pie and pumpkin cake! Who wouldn’t love all of that cinnamon and nutmeg goodness? But I digress, this article is about the creamy and delicious Pumpkin Risotto!

You can try to substitute canned pumpkin in this recipe, but I recommend fresh. You can try substituting acorn squash or butternut if you find it difficult to find pumpkin. In this recipe you can use the fresh uncooked pumpkin cubes but it will take a little longer to cook. The precooked and puréed method saves you a little time.

Quarter the pumpkin or cut it into wedges to make it easier to handle if it’s a big one! I remove and the peal with a knife by cutting down the wedge. Then chop it up into nice little cubes about 1/2” x 1/2 “. Cook the pumpkin cubes in a pot with about an inch of water at the bottom, bring to a boil and cook until they are fork tender. About a half hour if the cubes are 1/2 “ if they are large it will take longer. You want to try and reduce all of the water down because all of the vitamins are in the water and you don’t want to throw it out! You also don’t want watery pumpkin, so try get all of the water out in the cooking process. Allow it to cool and purée until smooth. Try to reach the thickness of canned pumpkin or baby food. If you have alot you can freeze it in 1/2 cup or 1 cup amounts in a freezer bag. That way you will have fresh pumpkin ready to go for your other recipes like Pumpkin Ravioli, Pumpkin Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Bread, wow! The list goes on and on!

The day I want to make Pumpkin Risotto or another Pumpkin recipe, I pull out a freezer bag of pumpkin and leave it on the counter in my kitchen and it will be ready for me to make that night. I usually make pumpkin risotto when I have a busy working day, its a quick “go to” meal that is ready in 30 minutes and such a warm comfort food that tastes “slow cooked”.

You don’t have to stir it constantly but if you are in the kitchen chopping up a salad or preparing other things you will be ready to give it a stir and add more broth at regular intervals.

Pumpkin Risotto (Risotto di Zucca)

(This recipe is for 2 people, double it for 4)

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped and peeled pumpkin (or 1/2 cup canned or cooked and puréed pumpkin)

1 cup rice for Risotto (Arborio or any short grain starchy rice)

3 -4 cups Vegetable broth, keep heated on a burner

Salt (adjust according to taste, depending on how much salt is in the broth)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated preferred)

Heat olive oil in pot, sauté onion until translucent, add pumpkin and continue to sauté, add unrinsed rice and salt and sauté. Add white wine and allow to evaporate while stirring occasionally.

Once the liquid has evaporated continue adding hot broth 1/2 cup at a time stirring occasionally while you allow it to evaporate. Continue adding hot liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the rice has cooked to the “al dente” stage. At the end, just before serving add the butter and Parmesan .

I like mine on the “soupy” side when I serve it, it will continue to sit up as it cools. The result is a velvety smooth and creamy risotto, real comfort food!

I was intimidated to make risotto because it seemed tricky and it seemed you had to stand there and stir it the whole time. I have found that while I am preparing other parts of the meal it is easy to watch the risotto and give it a stir every couple of minutes. It really is not complicated or difficult!