How to cook risotto with pumpkin: step-by-step recipe

Pumpkin season continues: the bright orange vegetable can still be found in markets or supermarket shelves. The FoodOboz editorial team suggests that you don't put things on the back burner, buy half a kilo of pumpkin and add rice, hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino, white dry wine, and make risotto with it.

We recommend taking Arborio or Carnaroli rice for risotto: they are characterized by a high starch content, which gives the dish a creamy texture, but at the same time, the grains of rice retain their shape and do not boil.

In addition to these two varieties, some chefs use Viallone Nano rice, which is also characterized by a high starch content, but retains its shape during slow cooking.

You also need broth to make risotto. Some recipes say that broth can be replaced with hot boiled water, but we recommend using broth. 

• pumpkin – 300 g
• rice – 1 cup
• white dry wine – 1 cup
• low-fat cream – 0.5 cups
• Parmesan or pecorino cheese – 100 g

• onions – 1-2 pcs
• vegetable oil – 5 tbsp
• garlic – 2 cloves
• hot broth – 700-800 ml
• salt and pepper – to taste

1. Peel the pumpkin, and boil it in salted water until soft. Grind the cooked pumpkin in a blender with the water it was boiled in: you should get a liquid puree.
2. Peel the onion and garlic, chop finely, fry in vegetable oil in a deep frying pan until soft.
3. Then pour the rice into the pan and fry, stirring, for a minute or two, until the oil envelops the rice on all sides.
4. Add the pumpkin puree and evaporate all the liquid. Then pour in the wine, simmer over low heat, stirring until the liquid is absorbed.
5. After that, pour in the cream and simmer again until the liquid has completely evaporated. Then add salt and pepper and start adding the broth in portions: pour in a little bit with a ladle and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add a new portion of liquid after the previous one is completely absorbed.
6. Repeat the broth procedure until the rice tastes soft.
7. When adding the broth for the last time, add grated cheese to the pan and mix well.

If you want a vegan version of risotto, cook the dish in vegetable broth and skip the step of adding cheese and cream.