Pumpkin Risotto

Name: Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan and White Wine
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian cuisine
Ingredients: Pumpkin 300 g; Arborio rice 1 cup (200 g); Vegetable broth or water 0.8–1 l (4–5 cups); Butter 2 tbsp; Dry white wine 50 ml (a quarter cup); Parmesan 50 g; Salt 4–5 g; Sugar, vanilla, cinnamon to taste

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50 mins

In the cold season, as everywhere in the world, dishes made from fresh vegetables typical of autumn and winter are very popular in Italy. Pumpkin is probably the most accessible of them. In the variety of ways to cook it, pumpkin is second only to potatoes. For example, pumpkin risotto is made very often, just like chicken risotto.

The abundance of ways to cook pumpkin, multiplied by national traditions, gives an endless supply of tasty and easy dishes. Unlike seafood risotto, pumpkin dishes always turn out bright, beautiful and delicious.

Pumpkin porridge, like risotto, is very popular in northern Italy. Besides its health benefits and abundance of vitamins and minerals, pumpkin pairs wonderfully with all kinds of foods. Think of pumpkin porridge, pumpkin fritters, pumpkin with prunes and nuts. Given that rice dishes come first on the menu in northern Italy, making risotto is arguably a national tradition.

The history of this risotto, like most dishes made from this vegetable, is not so entertaining or colorful. Pumpkins were grown by peasants, the poorest part of society, and thanks to their large size they fed farmers well. Pumpkin is also a must for Halloween, a holiday with roots in ancient European history that is still celebrated merrily and noisily on October 31 all over the world. But preparations start long beforehand. Sometimes orange risotto is even called Halloween risotto. I described the technique in detail in the recipe on how to make risotto. A good choice for this dish is risotto broth made with chicken, and I also recommend carrot risotto.

Ingredients

2 servings

Pumpkin 300 g
Arborio rice 1 cup (200 g)
Vegetable broth or water 0.8–1 l (4–5 cups)
Butter 2 tbsp
Dry white wine 50 ml (a quarter cup)
Parmesan 50 g
Salt 4–5 g
Sugar, vanilla, cinnamon to taste

Step-by-step recipe

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Pumpkin

For pumpkin porridge, choose a small pumpkin that isn’t the sweetest. The “Novinka” variety is excellent. It is easy to recognize by its elongated cylindrical shape, like a big zucchini with a round bulge where the flower was. The color is orange with a pinkish tint, or with dark orange spots or stripes. The brighter the pumpkin, the more beautiful the finished porridge, I know that from experience.

Peel and cut the pumpkin. Cut off the hard rind, making sure to remove the layer under the skin too, so only the orange flesh is left. Inside, also cut away the layer next to the seeds, which holds the slime and fibers. Cut the flesh into small cubes, no more than 1.5 cm across.

Fry and steam the pumpkin. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the pumpkin in it. Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer the pieces under a lid until soft, 10-12 mins. Don’t add water, the pumpkin releases enough moisture.
Season the pumpkin. When the largest cube is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, add a little salt, plus sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. If the pumpkin is sweet on its own, you can skip the sugar; otherwise go by your taste. Pumpkin porridge or risotto may be more of a dessert than a main dish.

Risotto

Fry the rice with the pumpkin. Stir everything and add a rice variety normally used for risotto: Arborio, Carnaroli, Baldo and so on.
After stirring, fry the pumpkin and rice over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs all the moisture and is coated with a film of butter. This is important for a good pumpkin porridge in the risotto style.

Pour in the wine. Add 50 ml (a quarter cup) of dry white wine, cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer over low heat until the rice has absorbed all the wine.
Cook the rice, adding liquid in portions. Remove the lid and add hot vegetable broth or boiling water in small portions, about a ladleful at a time, stirring often. Add the next portion only after the previous one is absorbed. Usually 200 grams of rice absorb 4-5 cups of liquid (0.8–1 l), because Arborio, for example, is a high-starch rice and easily takes up liquid at 4 times its own volume. In total this takes about 18–20 mins.
Check for doneness and add the Parmesan. When the rice is almost done, just taste it. It should be soft with a barely perceptible firmness right in the center, and creamy. Sprinkle the porridge with grated Parmesan and stir.

Serving

Divide the pumpkin rice among plates right away and serve for breakfast.

Calories and macros

610 kcal

Serving ≈ 430 g

Protein18 g12% of kcal
Fat18 g28% of kcal
Carbs90 g60% of kcal

100 g143 kcalProtein 4.2 gFat 4.3 gCarbs 21.2 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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