Pumpkin Risotto

Lola, author of Loleta, Life, Market and Cooking, brings us a recipe in a casserole that you will really enjoy at home: a pumpkin risotto, uncomplicated but with a delicious, very autumnal flavor. Enjoy!

Risotto is an Italian way of cooking rice that relies on patience, but it's not difficult. The secret is getting the rice (usually arborio or carnaroli) to release all its starch so the texture becomes creamy. For this you must stir constantly using a wooden spoon.

Today we make it with just vegetables, but the possibilities are endless, just like your imagination.

Given the time of year and to make the most of seasonal fruit, I thought it could be interesting to make a pumpkin risotto. I thought it would be an interesting combination, and indeed it turned out to be absolutely delicious!

You can make the risotto in a shallow casserole, like the Le Creuset casserole, Shallow Casserole type, or, as in my case, I used the standard round casserole. The way cast iron distributes heat is wonderful and the cooking is perfect.

Mini cocottes Le Creuset

Ingredients

• 600gr of pumpkin flesh, cut into very small pieces
• 50ml of La Chinata extra virgin olive oil
• 90gr of butter divided into three portions
• 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 whole garlic clove and another one finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 300gr of carnaroli rice
• 1 liter of hot chicken stock (for a vegetarian version, you can use vegetable stock)
• 50gr of grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A handful of shelled pumpkin seeds

Preparation

1. In a pan, heat the oil and one third of the butter, then add two sprigs of rosemary, the whole garlic clove and the pumpkin.
2. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes or until it softens and is almost puréed. Remove the rosemary sprigs and the garlic clove.
3. Meanwhile, in a large Shallow Casserole, heat the stock. It should be very hot when you start making the risotto.
4. In a casserole, heat another third of the butter and sauté the onion over medium-low heat until soft.
5. Next, add the rice and, without stopping stirring with a wooden spoon, let it fry for a few minutes so the oil coats all the grains.
6. Add a ladle of hot stock and then the pumpkin mixture. Stir well until the stock has been completely absorbed.
7. Add more stock little by little (one or two ladlefuls at a time), stirring the rice all the time, and wait for the stock to evaporate before adding more.
8. When there are a couple of ladles left to add, put in the grated Parmesan and the remaining butter.
9. Serve the rice piping hot with a little extra cheese on top and a few sprigs of rosemary. Finish by sprinkling some shelled pumpkin seeds.

Le Creuset ceramic soup pot, Le Creuset round mini-casserole and Le Creuset round Evolution casserole

You can serve the risotto in individual plates, or choose to present it in the mini cocottes, an excellent option given their size and that this is a filling dish.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have at home!