Pumpkin Risotto
01/04/09 01:24 Filed in: Food
A popular dish in the north of Italy where a lot of
the rice is grown.
300 g arborio risotto rice
300 g pumpkin or butternut squash
1 onion finely chopped
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of saffron threads (optional)
vegetable bouillon or stock cube
Peel the pumpkin, cut into smallish chunks and put in a saucepan of water (about 1.5 litres) and bring to boil.
In a large saucepan (remember the rice is going to swell up a lot), gently melt the butter (I use goat butter), add the olive oil (no need to measure exactly, just pour it in) and fry the onion over a medium low heat until soft. Don't brown it.
Add the rice to the onion and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes. Stir it all the time to prevent it sticking or burning.
Once the water with the pumpkin is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and add stock cube or bouillon, and salt to taste.
With a ladle, slowly add the water to the rice, stirring it all the time. Start with a couple of large ladles full, then add them one at a time. It is important to keep stirring the rice. As soon as the water is absorbed add more liquid. This is a long, slow process and there isn't an easy way of doing it. It will take about 30 minutes.
When you get towards the bottom of the pot of water, add the saffron to a ladle of water and allow it to soak for a couple of minutes before adding to the rice. Check the rice is cooked all the way through, although some people like it a little al dente.
Add the pumpkin to the rice and stir it in well. Allow it to break it up so it mixes in with the rice. You can leave it in chunks if you prefer.
Turn the heat off. Grate Italian hard cheese over it. I use Pecorino Romano, which is made in Sardinia from sheep's milk, but you can use Parmigianno or Grana Padano. Cover the pot and leave to stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
Serve garnished with fresh rucola (rocket), and a fresh lettuce (not iceberg) and rucola salad on the side.
300 g pumpkin or butternut squash
1 onion finely chopped
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of saffron threads (optional)
vegetable bouillon or stock cube
Peel the pumpkin, cut into smallish chunks and put in a saucepan of water (about 1.5 litres) and bring to boil.
In a large saucepan (remember the rice is going to swell up a lot), gently melt the butter (I use goat butter), add the olive oil (no need to measure exactly, just pour it in) and fry the onion over a medium low heat until soft. Don't brown it.
Add the rice to the onion and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes. Stir it all the time to prevent it sticking or burning.
Once the water with the pumpkin is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and add stock cube or bouillon, and salt to taste.
With a ladle, slowly add the water to the rice, stirring it all the time. Start with a couple of large ladles full, then add them one at a time. It is important to keep stirring the rice. As soon as the water is absorbed add more liquid. This is a long, slow process and there isn't an easy way of doing it. It will take about 30 minutes.
When you get towards the bottom of the pot of water, add the saffron to a ladle of water and allow it to soak for a couple of minutes before adding to the rice. Check the rice is cooked all the way through, although some people like it a little al dente.
Add the pumpkin to the rice and stir it in well. Allow it to break it up so it mixes in with the rice. You can leave it in chunks if you prefer.
Turn the heat off. Grate Italian hard cheese over it. I use Pecorino Romano, which is made in Sardinia from sheep's milk, but you can use Parmigianno or Grana Padano. Cover the pot and leave to stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
Serve garnished with fresh rucola (rocket), and a fresh lettuce (not iceberg) and rucola salad on the side.
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