Pumpkin-Artichoke Risotto

By John, 28 October, 2020
Region
Italy
Description

Pumpkin-Artichoke RisottoThe original recipe for this was tasty but difficult, so I've modified it slightly: please see the notes below for details.

The flavor is good, and the combination of pumpkin and artichoke is a fine one to open an autumn dinner with friends.

Yield
8 Servings
Preparation time
1 hour
Ingredients
3 T Butter
1 1⁄2 c Diced Pumpkin Flesh
14 oz Artichoke Hearts (1 can, not marinated!)
2 c arborio rice
6 1⁄2 c Vegetable Stock
1⁄4 c Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Instructions
  1. Saute the pumpkin in butter for a few minutes, then add 1/3 cup of the stock and cover. Let it cook until tender, about 30 minutes.
  2. Bring the stock to a simmer.
  3. Drain and chop the artichokes, then add them to the pan and stir it all together.
  4. Add the rice and stir it to get all the grains coated with the seasoned butter.
  5. Add 2 ladles of stock to the rice and stir it in. Bring it to a simmer, and let some of it get absorbed, until the liquid is below the level of the rice.
  6. Add more liquid, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly, until it is almost all absorbed. This should take 18-20 minutes.
  7. When you add the final ladleful of stock, stir in the parmesan cheese and serve hot.
Notes
The original recipe called for pureed pumpkin, which made it sticky and hard to get the stock right. Most Italian risotto recipes that call for pumpkin want it diced, which I recommend. It cooks better and you get little colorful bursts of flavor that way. I also used canned unseasoned artichoke hearts instead of fresh globe artichokes, because the canned ones are always available and save a lot of time and effort. Next time I may try this with chicken stock.
Source
The Silver Spoon Cookbook