Pumpkin Risotto

I have cooked a lot of risottos in this blog so far, but I love them. After cooking, this one, this, this, and that one, I attack with this one. 

 






Maybe is a bit out of season, but I think you can still find pumpkin at the stores. This risotto has a sweet and soft flavour that I love during this cold days (on this side of the world, so jealous of those Argentinians and South Africans!)

INGREDIENTS (for 4 people):

• 1 big onion chopped
• 400g of arborio rice (but you can also use the spanish bomba rice)
• 250g of finely chopped pumpkin (basically, a full cup)
• 1,5 liters of vegetable broth.
• 200 g of freshly grated parmesan cheese (very important to be freshly grated, as it adds a creamyness that the packed stuff doesnt)
• 1 glass of Martini Bianco
• 100 g of butter
• 8 slices of smoked bacon
• Thyme.

PREPARATION:

1. As we have done other times, we heat up the broth so it does not break the cooking process of the rice when we add it. At the same time we also cook the bacon at medium heat till it gets crispy and we save it in kitchen paper.
2. Sautee the pumpkin at medium heat in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
3. After a couple of minutes, add the onion to cook.
4. When the onion gets transparent, add the rice.
5. Once the rice is getting transparent, higher the heat and add the thyme and the martini.
6. Once the martini is evaporated, lower the heat again to medium.high and add the broth in batches.
7. Repeat the “adding the broth” part until you finish it or the rice is tender. Moreless it will take 15-20min.
8. When the broth in the rice is almost gone, add almost all the cheese (save some to decorate) and the butter. Stir for a couple of minutes.
9. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 3 minutes.
10. Plate it and enjoy.

Bon profit!