Fall, winter, and the first frosts can be depressing, especially if you’re a beach lover. But there’s a silver lining to all the rain, snow, and cold: it’s finally time for risotto, pumpkin, and chestnuts. Winter ushers in a beautiful time of year for people who like to cook and, of course, eat.
PUMPKIN, KALE, AND CHESTNUT RISOTTO
There are infinite ways to make risotto. It takes time and some effort to prepare it, but the result will make everyone happy.
It’s always better to choose seasonal ingredients: like we did for this recipe. You can modulate how much of each ingredient you use based on your own tastes — we promise you can’t go wrong!
HOW TO PREPARE
Start by chopping up all the ingredients and boiling the kale and chestnuts. In a separate pan, boil a good amount of vegetable broth. Then, in a large saucepan, make the soffritto, by sautéing onion and some sage in olive oil. When the onion has a gold color, add the pieces of pumpkin. If the mixture becomes dry, add a little bit of both.Stir often for 10 to15 minutes, then add the raw rice. Turn the heat on high to toast the rice for a minute or so.
Then, start adding broth, little by little, waiting for the rice to absorb each dose of the liquid before adding any more. Make sure not to overcook the rice and to stir it every few minutes. By the end, the pumpkin should almost be creamy. When the risotto is nearly ready, add your chestnuts.
At this point, keep stirring and add spices to taste (we recommend Thyme). Before serving, finish cooking the kale, and add it to the risotto at the very end. You can also finish your dish with some toasted almonds to add some crunch to the dish.
BUON APPETITO!
The quality of the rice is essential to this tasty dish. That’s why Magnifico brings you the products of amazing artisanal companies such as Tenuta Margherita.
