When a chill hits the air after a long summer, you know it's time to turn on that stove and start doing some slow cooking. Spices, gourds, and late-harvest herbs are some of the best flavors of the season, and this comforting pumpkin risotto is a great way to get them all together.
Fun fact: pumpkins and squash seem different but they're part of the same family. The big difference comes in the stem and thickness of the skin, with most getting divided into winter squash or summer squash.
Risotto is a creamy and slow-cooked rice dish made from arborio rice, a short-grain variety of rice. It contains more starch than other varieties like Jasmine or Basmati rice, which allows it to basically create its own sauce as it's cooked with flavorful stock and aromatics. If you haven't made risotto before, it is a bit of a labor of love, where you have to watch and stir it for about 30-40 minutes to ensure everything is cooking evenly.
Before we get started on the risotto itself, it's worth starting one of our garnishes, a bright herb oil. The herbs used can be anything soft (or blendable) including cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, chives, tarragon, etc. No rosemary here!
You'll want to blanche the herbs In boiling water to brighten the green color before dunking into ice water to stop the cooking process. Squeeze the herbs dry and get out as much moisture as possible. Add the herbs to a blender with extra virgin olive oil and blend well until the herbs have been completely blended into the oil.
Once everything is blended you'll want to use cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a colander and a dish to allow the oil to separate from the green solids. Do not try to push the solids through, it will make the oil cloudy. Let gravity do the work!
Once the oil is separating, it's the perfect time to start the aromatics for the foundation of the risotto. This includes onion, garlic, and kabocha squash. You can use many varieties of orange pumpkin or squash, alternatives including acorn squash, butternut squash, or red kuri.
Grate a few ounces of manchego sheep's milk cheese and divide it into even mounds. Pop them in a hot oven for a few minutes to turn them into crispy manchego discs that will be a perfect garnish for the creamy risotto.
Once all your ingredients for the risotto are ready to go, heat extra virgin olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add diced pumpkin and cook until it starts to soften before adding the onion and garlic. Add white wine and continue cooking the pumpkin, mashing about a third to create a base of pumpkin flavor and boost the creaminess.
Then comes the arborio rice, which will be toasted in the pan. Then add vegetable broth a bit at a time and simmer over low heat until the rice absorbs the stock. Be vigilant and add more stock as needed to keep the rice simmering. It's important to stir often to make sure the bottom doesn't burn!
Now it's time to turn on some Italian jazz and just enjoy the cooking process. Taste some of your white wine. Pick some more herbs for garnish. Get into it!
After most of your stock is absorbed, the risotto should be softened and a natural sauce should have formed in the pan. Stir in some extra butter and parmesan cheese. Finish with some salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Plate it up in a bowl with a drizzle of your herb oil and some crispy manchego cheese. Savor the slowly cooked fall flavors and know that it makes some excellent leftovers (or arancini!)
Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Manchego and Herb Oil
Warm, cheesy, and comforting, this risotto stands above the rest with the sweet touch of one of our favorite Fall gourds! Crispy chips of manchego cheese add a welcomed crunch and bright herb oil rounds it all out.
Recipe and Photography by Sam Burgess
Forge To Table Knives
Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 2 hours for oil)
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
2 cups (2 ounces with stems) soft herbs like cilantro, parsley, basil, dill, or chives
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 ounces manchego cheese, grated
12 ounces fresh pumpkin, peeled and deseeded, small diced (kabocha, red kuri, butternut, honey-nut squash)
1 each yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)
½ cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups arborio rice
6 cups vegetable stock (homemade or storebought)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan lightly packed
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions:
HERB OIL. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Once the water is boiling, add herbs and cook for about 15 seconds, just until the stems turn bright green. Transfer to the ice bath and chill for about 3 minutes.
STRAIN. Once the herbs are cool, transfer them to a tea towel/paper towel and squeeze dry. Transfer dry herbs to a high-speed blender (a normal blender/food processor works as well) and add 1 cup extra virgin olive oil. Puree until it’s very smooth. If it gets too thick, add a little more oil. Line a sieve with a coffee filter (or three layers of cheesecloth), and pour the oil through. Let sit for about two hours, stirring occasionally, but never press the oil through. Set aside.
CHEESE CRISPS. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a 2-tablespoon measure to scoop even mounds of grated manchego cheese 2 inches apart from each other onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle mounds with black pepper and bake for 6-8 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Cool on the baking sheet and set aside.
CHOP. Peel and deseed your pumpkin and use your Nakiri Vegetable Cleaver to cut it into small dice. Prepare the minced onion and garlic and set aside.
SAUTEE VEGE. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced pumpkin and cook until the edges soften, about 3 minutes. Add the minced onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the white wine and use a large spoon or a spatula to gently mash about â…“ of the pumpkin.
RISOTTO. Once the wine is mostly evaporated, stir in the arborio rice. Add vegetable broth, 1 cup at a time, and simmer over low heat until the rice absorbs the stock, about 4 minutes. Add more stock as needed to keep the rice simmering, stirring often to make sure the bottom doesn't burn.
GARNISH. Once the rice is cooked and all the stock is absorbed, remove from heat, and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Serve in bowls topped with a drizzle of herb oil and crispy manchego cheese crisps. Enjoy!
Chef’s Notes:
There will most likely be leftover herb oil, so transfer it to a bottle and store it in the refrigerator for about a week.
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