What to eat tonight: Easy pumpkin risotto

Easy pumpkin risotto
I read recently Italians say that you should only make risotto for your very best friends. I don’t know, but I’m presuming because it’s quite labour-intensive and it keeps you in the kitchen for longer than you’d like to admit. Only your best friends could forgive you for not keeping them company at the table.

I’ve been making pumpkin risotto for a long time now. Usually I roast pumpkin with a little garlic and rosemary and then add it to the risotto once it’s soft and perfect. This recipe just made my life a whole lot easier. When I read the method to making the risotto, I smiled and actually said, “Wow!” It involves grating the pumpkin before adding it to the risotto. All sorts of brilliant.

This recipe is from George Calombaris’ new cookbook, Georgie Porgie. It’s a cookbook for kids aged 8 to 80 and it’s brilliant. Seriously. Read more about it here.

Serves 4

Ingredients
400g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and grated
60g unsalted butter, softened {I used less and just replaced it with a little stock}
3 cups vegetable stock {I used chicken because I love it}
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup carnaroli rice {I used arborio}
salt and pepper
grated parmesan, to serve

Method
♥ Place the pumpkin and 40g of the butter in a saucepan. Put the lid onto the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until tender. Puree the pumpkin with a stick blender and set aside.
♥ Heat the stock in a saucepan. Keep warm. {Alternatively I heated it in a jug in the microwave}.
♥ Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the rice and continue to stir for 2 minutes or until translucent and lightly toasted.
♥ Add the hot stock to the rice, then reduce the heat to love and simmer gently for 12-14 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. When the rice is tender-to-the-bite but slightly firm in the centre, remove the pan from the heat and add the pureed pumpkin. Toss in the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to achieve a creamy consistency. Add more stock if you want a soupier risotto.
♥ Divide the risotto among bowls or plates and then top with grated parmesan and serve.

Easy pumpkin risotto

I’m partial to a pumpkin or mushroom risotto. What’s your favourite?

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Ingredients

Method

11 thoughts on “What to eat tonight: Easy pumpkin risotto”

  1. Yes mushroom risotto is delicious, but i'm a huge pumpkin fan, why have i never married the two?? I'm the only one who likes risotto in this household, bummer, maybe i'll make a batch for myself?? Mmmm, love Posie

  2. Chicken and Spinach Risotto here. Though am tempted to try this one……..a pity I left our pumpkin at my parents on the weekend :/ I hate the idea of grating the pumpkin though, did you find this easy?

  3. I've never made a risotto before but I love mushroom risotto when it gets made for me! Going to give this a go though. I love pumpkin and have a large piece in the fridge that needs using up.

  4. Oooh, your pumpkin risotto sure does look good. And I have NEVER thought of grating or pureeing it first!

    My favourite risotto is pumpkin, spinach and walnut.

    Yes, it is.

    And I'm going to try this next week. Because I make risotto for anyone!

    xx

  5. This looks yummy.
    We had “toddler friendly” lentil lasagne, which I was assured Pebble had eaten 3 serves of at child care.
    You guessed it, she turned her nose up at my attempt. I thought it was pretty good, we'll be enjoying it anyway!

  6. Just made pumpkin and bacon risotto in the pressure cooker (Breville fast slow cooker actually) on the weekend. Fabuloso. I cannot cook risotto on the stove top – it turns out like wallpaper glue, YUK!

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