Basic Risotto with Pumpkin or Butternut

If you've never made a risotto before this one is a good basic formula, you can add a bit of chopped bacon or chorizo to the onion and garlic if you like or swap out the pumpkin.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of pumpkin or  butternut peeled and chopped into 1.5cm pieces
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ¼ cup white wine
• ½ tsp dried sage
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper
• chopped parsley to garnish - optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Toss the butternut pieces in half the oil, and roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until becoming tender.
Place the chicken stock in a saucepan and heat to a gentle simmer.
Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Stir in the Arborio rice and cook until the rice has absorbed the oil and the pan has stopped sizzling. Pour in the wine and cook until absorbed. Add the sage and a ladleful of stock and stir.

Add the butternut and another ladle of stock and stir. When absorbed continue adding, stock, stirring and simmering until the rice is tender and the risotto thickened and creamy, around 15-20 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese and season well with salt and pepper. Add a handful of chopped parsley if desired.

Tips

You may not use all the stock depending on how much evaporates during simmering and how much is absorbed by the rice. The risotto can be made without wine if you prefer. Cold risotto sets firmly in the fridge overnight and can be formed into risotto cakes. Dip in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry till crispy and golden.