Taking the flavours of a classic Italian risotto, the texture of a baked risotto is softer than one cooked on a stove-top, but it is still delicious and needs only occasional attention.
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
1½ kilograms crown pumpkin, peeled and cubed
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
Risotto
1 tablespoon olive oil
knob of butter
1 large leek, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
1¼ cups Arborio risotto rice
4 cups vegetable stock, hot
½ cup cream
½ cup grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)
small handful parsley, finely chopped
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Pumpkin: Put the pumpkin on a lined baking tray and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Set ⅓ of the pumpkin aside for serving.
Mash the remaining pumpkin with a fork and set aside for the risotto.
Reduce the oven to 150°C.
Risotto: Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan and cook the leek, garlic and thyme with a good pinch of salt until tender. Add the rice and turn to combine.
Tip into a large baking dish and stir in the mashed pumpkin and then the stock.
Place in the oven (uncovered) and bake for 20 minutes.
Combine the cream, Parmesan, egg yolk and nutmeg and season.
Stir into the hot risotto and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.
To serve: Top with the reserved pumpkin, pine nuts and parsley and extra Parmesan if desired.
Cook’s Tip: Reheat the reserved pumpkin in the oven a few minutes before the risotto is cooked.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
Related Content
latest issue:
127
In Dream Escape, we journey from Japan and Morocco to Italy, India and beyond, sharing recipes inspired by travel, heritage and comfort. We celebrate the champions of the Outstanding Food Producer Awards, explore the stories and recipes of chefs shaped by their cultural roots, and warm up with everything from West African soups and slow-braised lamb to porchetta, butter chicken and beef noodle soup. Alongside destination menus, Scandinavian sweets and cosy pub classics, Chrisanne Terblanche shares her favourite street-side dining spots in Bangkok, while Yvonne Lorkin explores red wine varietals. This issue, we invite you to slow down, turn the pages and escape through food.