Pumpkin risotto with Parmesan

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Prepare the pumpkin

   10 min

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F). Wash the Hokkaido pumpkin, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon; leave the skin on. Cut 400 g of the pumpkin into small cubes about 1 cm across for the risotto, and cut the remaining 200 g into larger cubes about 2 cm across.

2. Roast the pumpkin topping

   20 min

   Toss the larger cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast at 200 °C (400 °F) for about 20 minutes, until tender and golden around the edges. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they begin to pop.

3. Cook the onion and pumpkin

   10 min

   Heat the broth and keep it over low heat so it stays hot. Heat 2 tbsp oil and half the butter in a wide pot, then sauté the finely chopped onion until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and small pumpkin cubes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Toast the rice

   3 min

   Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the edges of the grains turn translucent. Pour in the wine and stir until it has almost completely evaporated.

5. Cook the risotto

   20 min

   Add a ladleful of hot broth and cook over low heat, stirring frequently. Add another ladleful whenever the rice has absorbed almost all the broth. After 18–20 minutes, the rice should be tender but still slightly firm in the center, and the pumpkin should have broken down into a thick orange sauce. You may not need all the broth.

6. Finish with butter and cheese

   2 min

   Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the remaining butter and grated Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes. The risotto should be creamy and spread slowly on the plate.

7. Serve

   Divide the risotto among shallow bowls, top with the roasted pumpkin cubes, and sprinkle with the toasted seeds. Serve immediately.

Tip: Keep the broth hot throughout cooking; cold broth would interrupt the cooking and prevent the risotto from becoming creamy. If the risotto thickens as it sits, loosen it with a ladleful of broth.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Tekvicové rizoto s hokkaidom a parmezánom