Italian Vegetables Recipes - Pumpkin, Sage and Chili Risotto  Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1-2 fresh or dried red chilies, seeded and finely chopped

• 1 pound pumpkin, peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 1/2 cups risotto rice

• 6 1/4 cups hot Chicken or Vegetable Stock (refer recipe)

• 1/3 cup chopped sage

• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

• salt and pepper

• sage sprigs, to garnish

Serves 6

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Method:

1. Heat half the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion. Sauté over a low heat for 5 minutes until softened but not colored.

2. Stir in the chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.

3. Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with the butter. Add the hot stock, a large ladleful at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed into the rice.

4. Continue adding stock in this way, cooking until the rice is creamy but the grains are still firm.

5. This should take about 20 minutes and the pumpkin should start to disintegrate. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the sage, the remaining butter, and the Parmesan.

6. Cover the pan and leave the risotto to rest for a few minutes before serving, garnished with sage sprigs.