Today’s recipe is from Lombardia, the region of Italy I grew up in and it is a very simple risotto made with pumpkin cream. As you know, it is autumn down here in the southern hemisphere… so what’s better than some pumpkin risotto to warm us up? Don’t you just love that orange colour? I served it with some raspadüra (Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano slivers). As I said in my post about Asparagus Risotto with Raspadüra, it is a way of serving Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano obtained by thinly shaving the cheese with a specific knife (or, at home, with a potato peeler). I love a simple, hearty risotto… and this colourful dish can turn your grey day into a sunny and delicious one! Enjoy and don’t forget to check out all my other Regional Itaian recipes!
Pumpkin Risotto
A typical risotto from the Italian region of Lombardia: Pumpkin Risotto!
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
- ½ 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
Instructions
Pumpkin Cream
Risotto
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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.
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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.
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Add the rice, mix well and let it cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until it becomes translucent.
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Now pour in the white wine and let the alcohol burn off by cooking on a high flame.
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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.
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After 12 minutes, add the pumpkin cream and keep cooking.
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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.
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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.
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Check for salt and season to your liking.
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Decorate with the reserved pumpkin cubes and raspadüra.
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Serve immediately.
I love me some risotto and make it often. Your one with pumpkin must be so creamy and delicious.
I love Pumpkin and the Risotto too!!! I have just to finish the last pumpkin of the season (our crazy and rainy and cold and grey Spring, here in Italy, invites us to prepare very hot and Autumnal recipes…for example last Sunday I cooked Pizzoccheri 0_o !!!). Here comes the Sun, at least in a dish 😉 …thanks!!! Daniela
Thank you for giving the timing as to when you add the pumpkin, in whichever cooked form one prefers – with vegetable risottos, which I cook very often, that is always the most difficult decision to make . . .
Oh WOW! This looks so good. Makes me wanna run to the kitchen and start cooking. 😀
your pumpkin risotto looks divine!