Italian food – Pumpkin Risotto

One of the reasons tourists love Italy so much is food. Today I want to share with you my family’s recipe for pumpkin risotto, taken from my new book Sos Italian cooking.

Ingredients

300 g (10.58 oz) Arborio rice

300 g (10.58 oz) fresh pumpkin

3 slices of onion

50 g (1.76 oz) unsalted butter

8 ladles vegetable stock – 1.2 L (5.07 cups), more or less

A handful of Parmesan

Table salt

125 mL(0.52 cup) dry white wine

For the stock

1 onion

1 stalk of celery

1 carrot

1 zucchini

2.5 L (10.56 cups) water

 

What you need

Pot 22 x 12 cm (8.66 x 4.72 inches)

Skimmer

Saucepot 22 x 9 cm (8.66 x 3.54 inches)

Food processor

 

Preparation

Stock

1. Wash the zucchini and the celery. Peel the carrot and onion.
2. In a pot, add the water and place in whole the zucchini, carrot, celery, and onion. Boil for an hour. Add more water if needed.
3. Remove vegetables with a skimmer. The stock is now ready to use.

Risotto

1. Peel the pumpkin and dice.
2. Heat the stock.
3. In a saucepot, melt the butter on a low flame. Add the onion and fry gently for one minute.
4. Add the pumpkin and cook until soft. Add 2 or 3 tbsp of water if needed to prevent the pumpkin from sticking.
5. Turn off the heat and purée the pumpkin in a blender or food processor until smooth.
6. Heat the purée in the same saucepot.
7. Add the rice and stir.
8. Cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
9. Add the wine and cook until completely absorbed.
10. Add two ladles of stock and cook on a medium flame. Continue to cook, adding one or more ladles of stock as soon as the rice absorbs the liquid. Continue stirring.
11. Cook the risotto according to packet instructions – usually 20 minutes.
12. Add salt to taste.
13. When the risotto is ready, turn off the heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
14. Wait 3 minutes and serve.