It's spooky season once again – my favourite time of year – and I've been enjoying using up my pumpkin puree from last year (made with my own homegrown pumpkins!) and this has got to be one of my best.
I LOVE a risotto, we eat it all the time as I've definitely mentioned before, so utilising my homegrown veg in a recipe like this is perfect for me. I hope you enjoy it too!
Pumpkin Risotto with Pesto
Ingredients:
1 shallot, diced
1L vegetable stock
400g pumpkin puree; I used my homemade frozen puree
1 cup risotto rice
Parmesan, grated
Parsley, chopped
Truffle Oil
Pesto – any pesto would be delicious with this, but I have a recipe for a delicious wild garlic pesto that is perfect for the job!
Oil, salt & pepper
Make up your vegetable stock in a large saucepan. Bring it to the boil before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer and keep this going while you make your risotto.
In a large pan, gently fry the shallot with a little oil and a pinch of salt, until softened. Then, add the risotto rice and allow it to soak up any oil left in the pan. Once it has, add a ladle of the vegetable stock and allow it to absorb fully before adding another, repeat this process until the rice is fully cooked.
Stir through the pumpkin puree and allow to cook for a couple of minutes, if there’s any excess liquid the rice should absorb it, leaving you with a glossy sauce. If you need to loosen the sauce a little, use up any stock you have left, or use some hot water. Add a generous scoop of parmesan and stir to combine. Be sure to taste it at this point as the pumpkin may require a little more salt and some pepper to be added.
Plate up the risotto and drizzle with some truffle oil (this step is totally not necessary, but it tastes so good!)
Sprinkle with a tad more parmesan, some parsley and, if using, stir through a few spoonfuls of pesto.