risotto - PUMPKIN RISOTTO (or squash)

By tinathorn

Ingredients

• pumpkin cream
• 300 gms – 10.5 oz. pumpkin, cleaned and chopped
• 2 tbsp onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Water
• Salt
• Risotto
• 320 gms – 11.3 oz. rice (Arborio, Carnaroli or Vialone nano)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 50 ml – 1.7 oz. white wine
• 1 lt – 33.8 oz. Stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 6 tbsp Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
• Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano slivers (raspadüra), to decorate
• 30 gms – 2 tbsp butter
• Salt to taste

Details

Adapted from manusmenu.com

Preparation

Step 1

Pumpkin Cream
Sauté the onion with the extra virgin olive oil for a couple of minutes.
Add the chopped pumpkin, salt and a little water. Cover and let it cook until the pumpkin is soft.
When the pumpkin is ready, reserve a few cubes for decoration and blend the rest. Keep the cream aside.

Risotto
Start by putting the stock in a pot and heat it on the fire. The stock has to be hot all the time while you are cooking risotto, so that the rice temperature does not drop when you add the stock to it.
Put the finely chopped onion and the 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pot and let it cook on a slow fire, until the onion becomes soft and transparent.
Add the rice, mix well and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until it becomes translucent.
Now pour in the white wine and let the alcohol burn off by cooking on a high flame.
Then add enough hot stock to cover the rice and turn the fire to medium-low. Keep cooking, occasionally stirring the rice and adding hot stock little by little, until the rice is cooked. It is going to take approximately 18 to 20 minutes depending on the rice you are using.

After 12 minutes, add the pumpkin cream and keep cooking.
When the rice is ready, put the fire off and add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and butter to it. Mix very well, until the rice becomes creamy.

Make sure that your risotto is moist (or, as we say, all’onda – which literally means wavy) and not sticky. You can do that by adding 1 or 2 extra tbsp of hot water/stock if needed.
Check for salt and season to your liking.
Decorate with the reserved pumpkin cubes and raspadüra.
Serve immediately.