I am focusing today on my Italian site and one of the areas I noticed that needs a lot of help is the risotto category. I mean this is a very important dish in any Italian kitchen and how can I not build it up a bit more. I mean we have plenty of pizza and lasagna recipes as those were two of the seeding site that went into making this site up. When I started it I did for a reason I wanted to explore Italian food further then just pizza and lasagna not that there is anything wrong with either but there are so many wonderful Italian dishes it is only right to go deeper.
So I wanted to start out with something a bit different and being from New England one of the biggest things is fall foliage which got me to thinking the pilgrims and the whole thanksgiving thing and that to many of us from a food point means turkey and pumpkins. Well I decide turkey risotto sounded a bit to weird but what about pumpkin it will definitely make for a cream and smooth risotto and when it came time for deciding on a broth to use I decide to go with a vegetable broth and it just so happened to make the whole thing end up vegetarian. So all the better.
Now in my recipe I use frozen cubed butternut squash as it is available all year round as where pumpkins not so much and not at this time. Also this helps simplify the recipe using the caned pumpkin and frozen squash so you could do this anytime the mood strikes you. One of the problems with seasonal ingredients is if you love the recipe you are stock waiting to make it again. This way it doesn’t matter when it is you can repeat your success anytime which let’s face it something’s are just too good to wait a whole year to give it another whirl. So if you like this one it can be made as soon as you desire and no trying to figure out substitutions I kind of did that ahead of time for you.
Summary:
I didn’t start out to make this dish vegetarian it just kind of happened along the way and the fact that it did is just an added bonus.
Author:
Christine Szalay-Kudra
Cuisine:
Italian
Recipe type:
Entree
Serves:
4
Prep time:
15 mins
Cook time:
30 mins
Total time:
45 mins
Ingredients
1 cup Farmers Market Organic Pumpkin
2 cups frozen butternut squash cubes, cooked al dente (optional)
5½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 2/3 cups Lundberg Voyages White Arborio Rice
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon rosemary
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Take the cubed squash and place it in a microwave safe dish and microwave for about 3 and a half minutes on high set aside for later to garnish if using.
In a large sauce pan bring the vegetable broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and keep it on the heat. You will need this throughout the process of making the risotto.
Place the oil in a deep skillet and sauté the onion until translucent about five minutes stir this frequently then add the garlic and cook about a minute.
Next add the white Arborio rice and toast it for about two minutes constantly stirring you are only trying to slightly brown it a bit.
Set your kitchen timer for twenty minutes and during this time add a ladle full of broth one by one of the simmering broth into the rice mixture allowing it to absorb each time. Repeat throughout the time interval until all broth is used stirring continually when time is up taste to make sure the rice is al dente.
Add your canned pumpkin and herbs and blend until well blended. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and then add the cheese and blend. Taste the dish and adjust anything that seems off. If you want to accent the pumpkin flavor you could add a some cinnamon if you want this to stand out more.
Add your cubed squash and gently blend with the risotto.
Transfer to a serving dish and place on table with you entree.
Photo Description:
Being a New England girl one of the things next to seafood you get to know well is pumpkins I mean in New England Thanksgiving is a bit more special I think being so close to Plymouth and all. I have actual been on the Mayflower and to Plymouth plantation so autumn in New England is kind of special and I don’t just mean whale watching and the color of the leaves. There is no bigger symbol of fall then pumpkins and if you like Italian food why not work it into a classic Italian dish like risotto.
Tagged classic risotto with a new world twist, pumpkin risotto, risotto, rustic canned pumpkin, rustic canned pumpkin risotto, rustic vegetarian canned pumpkin risotto, vegetarian risotto
