Parmesan or Bleu cheese? Here is a beautiful pumpkin risotto to celebrate fall! Thank you Marta for cooking with me and showing me how to make another delicious and authentic Italian dish.

We both have so much sharing stories and recipes with you. hat’s why we decided to plan a Zoom cooking class for homemade Pici pasta with Cacio e Pepe sauce this month. If you are interested, message me or Marta for the details. Some of the proceeds will go to the Armenian Fund Inc. to support the Armenians who need help near the Azerbaijan border. See details here.

Enjoy Marta’s recipe for Pumpkin Risotto. It can be made vegan without adding butter or cheese. The pureed pumpkin is creamy on its own and creates a great texture without the need of dairy. 

If you’re short on time, use 100% pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) which usually contains some butternut squash anyway. 

Pumpkin Risotto (serves 4)

Ingredients: 

• 320 g (1 ¾ cups) carnaroli, calrose, or arborio rice
• 100 g (about ½) white onion or shallots
• 50 g (3 T) butter
• 600 g (4 c) chopped pumpkin or butternut squash
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup white wine
• Olive oil
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth, heated
• 80 g (2 cups) Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions: 

1. In a medium saucepan, saute ½ of the onions or shallot in 1 T butter and 1 T oil until translucent, or a couple minutes. Then, add the chopped pumpkin and enough vegetable broth just to cover the pumpkin. Place a lid on and simmer for 20 minutes or pumpkin is soft. Once pumpkin is done, puree in blender, or with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend less to keep chunky. (That’s my preference).
2. While pumpkin is cooking, in a large pot, saute the remaining onion with butter and olive oil. Cook for a couple minutes, or until onion turns translucent. Then, add in the rice. Cook until rice becomes pearly white and slightly golden. Then, add the white wine and stir until all the liquid evaporates.
3. Begin to add broth 1 cup at a time to the rice and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue this process for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. The rice will get creamy. When rice is almost done, add the pumpkin puree and stir in (I didn’t use all of the puree. I used about 3 cups. But use all of it if you aren’t going to add cheese). Continue to cook until rice is done.
4. When rice is cooked (taste test), add half of the parmesan cheese. Stir in. Turn off heat. Serve risotto and top with more cheese, chopped parsley or sage.

More recipes by Marta: 
Salmon with Pistachio, Cream, and Lemon
Panzanella (Bread Salad) with Marta
Panna Cotta with Marta