Hearty Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto
Risotto…what can I say about it that you probably don’t already know? Not much, I’m guessing. Creamy rice mixed with a touch of wine, a bit of parmigiano-reggiano, and whatever ingredients suit your fancy at the time. It’s all about the technique I suppose…a proper risotto must be cared for and tended to for it to come out perfect. I’ve found that the only way to get perfect results is to add the liquid little bits at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed, then repeating until desired “creaminess” is achieved. This makes it difficult to nail down the exact quantities of liquid, but, as I always say, each person’s tastes are different, some prefer their rice more al dente, others prefer it softer, and yet, others prefer it downright soupy. I’m not judging anyone’s tastes, I’m just saying that you’ll need to take your desired result into consideration when preparing risotto. :) Cooking is all about being creative, letting your inner Julia Child or Rick Bayless come out to play…I’m a firm believer that a recipe is just the starting point to creating a dish that your own family will love. 
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
2 cups diced pumpkin
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 cups arborio or other rounded short grain rice
4 cups (about) chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
1 cup dry white wine (about)
thyme to taste
sage to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
fresh chopped parsley (about 1/4 cup)
Preparation:
In a large, fairly deep sautee pan, sautee garlic in butter until golden.
Add onions and continue sauteeing until translucent.
Add mushrooms and sautee for about 10 minutes, until soft.
Add pumpkin and sautee another 10 minutes over medium high heat (we want the pumpkin to brown just a bit).
Add rice and stir to combine.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes, then add a good pour of wine, stirring constantly, until absorbed.
Repeat with broth, adding a good pour, stirring until all broth is absorbed.
Repeat alternating wine and broth, check your rice after adding about 4 cups of liquid for doneness.
I find the amount varies, depending on the ingredients I’ve chosen, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it to make sure the rice cooks to your satisfaction.
When rice is done the way you like it, add in parmigiano-reggiano and parsley and stir through.
Serve immediately.
Nikki, your risotto looks “bang on” and I’m sure you did most Italians proud!
I also like that you didn’t toy with flavours much…let the ingredients speak.
Comment by Peter — October 24, 2007 @ 11:36 am
I like the bright orange chunks of pumpkin popping out of the risotto.
Comment by Kevin — October 25, 2007 @ 2:51 am
Thanks you guys!
Comment by nikki — October 25, 2007 @ 10:43 am