Winter Warmers

Pumpkin, Parmesan & Rosemary Risotto

 

Takes just 20 minutes to make, so a super easy dinner for the whole family and a good way to use up the pumpkin's innards. It's also a good way to use homemade chicken stock or bone broth as it's often called which is overflowing with nutrients. Bone broth boosts collagen needed for our joints as well as nails, skin & hair, is good for our gut and helps the liver eliminate toxins. Most people reserve it for soups but you can also allow rice to absorb it in a risotto or simply use it in your rice cooker instead of water.

What you need:

 

400g pumpkin

30 ml olive oil 

salt 

pepper

30g butter

1 clove of garlic

1 medium onion

2 cups arborio rice

3-4 cups of chicken stock (homemade preferably, if not two chicken oxo or knorr cubes)

200g Parmesan

1/2 cup single cream

1 dessertspoon of finely chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)

Method: 
 

Heat the oven to 200C.

Cut 2 inch cubes of pumpkin flesh and put them on a roasting tray. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

While the pumpkin roasts, melt a large knob of butter in a very large saucepan or Le Creuset pot and gently fry 1 medium brown onion and 1 clove of garlic, all finely chopped. Add 2 cups of rice and fry for 1 min until see-through. Then add one cup of dry white wine and breath in as the flavours explode! Once absorbed, add 1 cup of chicken stock and stir until absorbed. 

When this has been absorbed, add another cup of chicken stock along with the finely chopped rosemary, and keeping adding a little liquid at a time, keeping it on a medium heat, until it's absorbed and the rice is cooked. This takes around 15 mins and I used 3-4 cups of stock. 

 

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and chop it into smaller cubes.

 

When the rice is almost cooked with still a little bite to it, add 150g grated Parmesan and the pumpkin. Taste then season with salt (not too much as the cheese can be salty) and pepper.

Add 1/2 cup of cream right at the end for a richer effect but this is not compulsory.

Serve with the rest of the bottle of wine and more parmesan to sprinkle on top.