Pumpkin Risotto

Pumpkin Risotto or Risotto alla Zucca is one of the staple dishes at Green Bean’s home! My mom always prepares it at the beginning of October and that’s the sign that Autumn has truly started. And I should say, the spooky season of Halloween!

Pumpkin Risotto is a traditional northern Italian dish and it’s one of the many earthy and filling meals of the “cucina contadina” or “cucina povera“. This means that Pumpkin Risotto was historically made with simple techniques and very few ingredients that could be found locally. It provided a nutritious meal, making sure a little portion could sustain a farmer in their long hours of work.

Risotto is probably every northern Italian’s comfort food during autumn and winter time. To me, it just smells and tastes like home, like a cosy autumn evening reading a book or chatting with my family under a nice warm blanket. So it’s not just the fact that it’s delicious and easy to make but it’s also a meal full of lovely memories.

Even though for me it’s a family meal, nowadays Pumpkin Risotto is a staple dish in many high-end restaurants across northern Italy. With its many different variations, it’s as delicious as ever. However, here I present to you my family recipe. It’s heartwarming, simple and tasty, perfect for a chilly autumn day! I hope you like it 🙂

Pumpkin Risotto

Bean

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 20

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 Servings

Equipment

1 Oven tray with baking paper
1 Tongs
1 Wok or medium pot
1 Wooden or silicon spatula
1 Kettle optional

Ingredients

1 Medium pumpkin or squash
160 gr Risotto rice
30 gr Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 gr Vegetable stock
1/2 Red onion
Extra virgin olive oil If you prefer a less expensive oil rapeseed or sunflower oil work too.
Salt
Black pepper Optional

Instructions

First of all, preheat your oven on the fan settings at 180 degrees centigrade. Wash the pumpkin, deseed and cut into medium chunks leaving the skin on. Make sure the chunks are all similar in size for even cooking. Cover a large baking tray with baking paper and evenly distribute the pumpkin chunks on the tray.
Drizzle with Extra virgin olive oil, add salt to your taste and toast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, flip the chunks over halfway through the baking to make sure both sides of the pumpkin pieces "caramelise".
Once the pumpkin is fully cooked, take the tray out and leave to cool for 30 minutes or so. After this time has passed, you can peel the pumpkin skin off. It should come off easily after baking, if not use a small knife to make small cuts around the harder parts. Measure 250 gr of pumpkin chunks and set aside.
Cut half of a small onion into small chunks and add to a wok or medium pot. Add a splash of oil and saulté the onion for 3 minutes on medium heat. To avoid pan-frying it I always add a bit of water with the oil – it helps get rid of the onion's strong acidity while still keeping its taste.
Measure about 180gr of pumpkin chunks, add to the wok and saulté with a splash of water for another 2-3 minutes or until the pumpkin starts breaking apart if you poke it with your spatula.
Add the rice and the vegetable stock and mix well with the other ingredients. The goal is to gently toast the rice to allow it to absorb the different flavours as best as possible while cooking. Stir at medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Once your rice is fully coated, boil 200ml of water. Add the boiling water to cover the rice fully whilst ensuring that you're not filling the pot completely. Too much water means that the rice will be overcooked, It's better to start with less water and gradually add more if needed throughout the process. Cover with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
It's important that you frequently check the water levels and stir the risotto to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom of your pan and that it's not drying out.
Whilst the risotto is cooking, grate your Grana Padano cheese ready for the next step.
Once the 20 minutes have passed, taste a couple of grains to make sure that the rice is fully cooked. The risotto should have a creamy consistency and the rice should be soft outside and slightly crunchy at the core. Take off the heat, add the Grana Padano cheese previously grated and a pinch of black pepper and salt. Give it a good stir – your Pumpkin Risotto is ready to be enjoyed!