Lavish Pumpkin Risotto {Cranberries & Feta}

This recipe takes risotto to another level! Dried cranberries add zest, and the sweet purée is beautifully blended with the tang of feta cheese.

Which one do you usually go for, Risotto or Pasta?

Living in Rome, my partner and I have been more of team pasta. When we go to a restaurant, we’d order two pastas, carbonara and cacio e peppe. ;)

Then, this squash risotto happened.

This risotto is the BOMB! Seriously, the medley of flavors in this recipe is on point. Dried cranberries add zest and the flavor blends beautifully with the tang of feta cheese.

This one turned my partner who has not quite understood the appeal of risotto before into a risotto person. True story. He was amazed and asked me to make it for his family over Christmas holiday, haha.

Yes, it’s THAT GOOD.

Do you have a cup (or just a half cup for 2 servings - halve all the ingredients below and no other chance in the recipe is needed) of pumpkin purée? This is it — give it a try!

(This recipe is based on Erin's Platings & Pairings. I adjusted the ratio of puree to broth and then substituted water for a part of broth to allow the pumpkin to shine through.)

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Preparation Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 30 minutes Serving Size 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (approx. 270g) of Squash Purée

• 2 cups (480ml) of Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Stock), Homemade or Store-bought

• 2 cups (480ml) of Water

• 1 Shallot, diced

• 1 cup (approx. 220g) of Short-grain Rice*

Seasoning

• 1 tsp of Salt

• 1 tsp of Chopped Fresh Rosemary* (see tips for alternative), or 1/2 tsp of Dried Rosemary

• 1/2 cup (40g) of Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Grana Padano)

• 1 and 1/2 tsp of White Wine Vinegar

• 1/2 tsp of Nutmeg

• A dash of Ground Black Pepper

Toppings

• Fresh Rosemary to garnish* (see tips for alternative), or Dried Rosemary

• Fresh Parsley to garnish, or Dried Parsley

• 50g of Feta Cheese, adjust the amount to your liking

• Approx. 1 tbsp of Dried Cranberries, adjust the amount to your liking

Instructions

1. Prepare all the ingredients first. Set aside 1 cup of squash purée, 2 cups of vegetable broth, 2 cups of water, and 1 cup of rice. Dice the shallot, chop fresh rosemary, grate the cheese, crush the feta cheese with a fork. Set them all aside within easy reach. If you have 2 sauce pots, that's perfect (one for purée mixture, and the other for risotto preparation). If not, empty the mixture from the pot to a bowl after step 2 and rinse the sauce pot with water and wipe it dry before you proceed with step 3.

2. [Purée Mixture] In a sauce pot, pour and mix 1 cup of squash purée, 2 cups of vegetable broth, and 2 cups of water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Leave it to simmer over low heat for 3 minutes, remove it from the heat, and set it aside. If you have only one pot, empty the mixture from the pot to a bowl. Rinse the sauce pot with water, wipe it dry, and proceed to step 3.

3. [Risotto - Another Saucepan] Add 1 tbsp of oil (or melt 1 tbsp of butter) to another saucepan over medium heat, add shallot and sauté until transparent and fragrant, stirring often.

4. Once shallot is fragrant, add 1 cup of rice, salt, and chopped rosemary to the saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.

5. Pour approximately a 1/5 of purée mixture (you don't need to be exact) over the rice. Mix in 1 and 1/2 tsp of white wine vinegar and grated cheese. Stir occasionally.

6. Once most of the liquid is soaked up by rice (watch carefully) and the rice starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, pour another 1/5 of the purée mixture. Repeat this process until you're done with the purée mixture. This should take about 25 to 35 minutes. Taste the rice (don't burn your tongue!) towards the end. If you find the rice to be too firm for your taste, pour another 1/3 cup of water and cook for extra 3-5 minutes.

7. Once the rice is ready, remove it from the heat. Mix in the nutmeg and ground black pepper. Top it with some more rosemary, crushed feta cheese, and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

Tips

• If you do not fancy rosemaries or not have them in hand already, you may substitute them with 1 and 1/2 tsp of thyme (which is milder in taste) or 1/2 tsp of sage (which is stronger in taste).

• Some examples of short-grain rice are: arborio rice (go-to grain for any Italian risotto), bomba rice (used in Spanish paella), and sushi rice (white Japanese rice) that are chewy, firm and sticky when cooked. You're looking for shorter and rounder rice variety (as the name suggests!)