roasted pumpkin risotto with blue cheese and toasted pine nuts

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This roasted pumpkin risotto with blue cheese and toasted pine nuts is a hearty vegetarian dish that is perfect comfort food for our chilly Autumn days and as we head into Winter.

I had a beautiful Crown Prince pumpkin (the one with grey outer colour and deep orange flesh) and have reached the conclusion that I prefer it to butternut as it seems to me to have a little more flavour. I love to roast it in a splash of chilli oil to offset the caramel sweet character it starts to take on.

In this recipe, I have used a Gorgonzola style blue cheese to give it a nice salty creaminess, and chopped fresh thyme for its earthy flavour.

What you will need to make for 2.  Double up the ingredients if you want to make it for 4.

  • 2 shallots finely chopped, or half an onion
  • 200g Arborio/risotto rice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
  • 1 litre of stock (chicken or vegetable)
  • 1/2 tsp of chopped thyme
  • about 1 cup of roasted pumpkin cut into small cubes
  • 50 – 80g of blue cheese
  • toasted pine nuts (about 50g)
  • splash of olive oil to roast the pumpkin in – or chilli oil, and a splash for the risotto

Preheat your oven to 200 C and toss the cubed pumpkin in the olive oil or chilli oil and roast for 20 – 25 minutes until the edges just start to caramelise.

In a heavy-based pot, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the onion/shallot until it starts to soften. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and allow the liquid to evapourate. Start adding your hot stock ladle by ladle, stirring it until most of the liquid has been absorbed. I add the roasted pumpkin and thyme about halfway through the cooking process so that some of it integrates into the risotto turning it a lovely pale orange colour. When the risotto is al dente and there is still a nice amount of sauce remove from the heat. Stir through half the blue cheese so that it melts in. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if it needs. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and toasted pine kernels over the top to serve.

PS – I think chopped up crispy bacon scattered over the top would also be lovely

comfort food at its best

 

19 Comments

  1. What a lovely risotto! It is spring here, but I still enjoy these flavors…perhaps a change to a seasonal squash would work for the time being 🙂

  2. Thanks Magic of spice, just been over to look at your site and some really love pics and recipes 🙂

  3. First cold weekend day, on my list! What wine should we drink with it? Riesling type or some red?

  4. Oh yum! I just love butternut risotto! x

  5. Dear Brooke,
    Just to comment on your wine question; better not pair a cheese like gorgonzola with a red wine. That type of cheese and the tannins in the wine will become a very harsh and bitter combination. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the saltiness of the cheese would indeed go well with a DRY riesling, a bit older, but a lovely viognier or a white Rhone blend would nice too! Or try a Zinfandel rose?!

  6. Hi Brooke – check out the comments on this post – someone has left a message for you 🙂
    Sam

  7. Great wine feedback there Inge, thanks!

  8. Dear Sam.

    Thanks for the compliment. I myself do favour a Prosecco, Ca’ del Bosco Franciacorta Satèn 1998 from Lombardy, for instance. Or, a US Pinot Gris would do nice with the blue cheese combination.
    Kind regards, inge

  9. A plateful of heaven. Havent made a risotto yet this year and I think this one shall be it!

  10. Thanks so much for this lovely recipe! I made it last night for my boyfriend and a couple of friends (doubled the recipe) alongside chicken with pomegranate sauce and asparagus. I did make a couple of modifications — I sautéed the dry rice for about five minutes to ‘roast’ the kernels, then doubled the wine; and my boyfriend isn’t a big blue cheese fan so I used brie instead. The flavor was spectacular, although subtle; I think next time I’ll up the pumpkin by 50% or maybe a bit more. We all went back for thirds and cleaned out the pan — so much for my anticipated leftovers. 🙂 Thanks again!

  11. Awesome Valerie – so glad it went down well – your modifications sound fab 🙂

  12. this is a winner! Easy, fast, and super yummy. Thank you for posting!

  13. So glad you liked it Brigitta

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