Pumpkin Risotto
The perfect fall dinner to make over the weekend. It is creamy, rich and so delicious. A few simple ingredients make this dish a show stopper. With a little effort to mix needed to stir it together this recipe is the absolutely delicious.
Equipment
- Heavy bottom stock pot with lid
- Sauce pot (for stock)
- Spatula
- Grater
Ingredients
- 1 liter stock chicken or vegetable
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 250 gm bacon diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil/butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- More parmesan cheese
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Make sure the stock is hot, I like stirring the pumpkin into the stock and allowing it to dissolve before getting started as this ensures the rice is cooked through with pumpkin from the beginning. Leave it in a sauce pot and make sure the stock is always warm/hot while making risotto.
- In a heavy bottom sauce pot add the bacon and let it render until crispy and the fat is release, this should take 5 minutes.
- Scoop out the bacon and add butter into the bacon fat, sauté the onions, garlic, thyme until soft, translucent - around 4-5 minutes on low heat.
- Add the rice and sauté for 3 minutes on low heat until it has gotten a little pale in color.
- Start by adding the wine and allow it to cook until completely evaporated this should take 3-5 minutes of low to medium heat.
- Continue by adding one ladle of stock at a time and keeping stirring. Allow the rice to absorb the stock and cook.
- Repeat this process for 6 ladles and give the rice taste, you may need to add more stock or it might be enough. This can vary depending on the brand of the rice.
- Once the risotto is cooked through add the parmesan cheese, butter, season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover, take off the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes. Stir well and serve it with crispy bacon, more parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
Notes
- You can make this alcohol free by swapping the white wine for stock.
- You might not need all the stock to make the risotto as this will vary on the brand of risotto any type of rice used.
- It is important to taste, also it is important to make sure the rice is absorbing all the liquid 80% before you add another ladle of stock. This allows the starches to release and make the risotto naturally creamy.