Pumpkin Risotto

After picking way too many pumpkins, we decided to use them to make

some way yummy food! I asked my friend Bridie (who is a chef!) to come round and teach me a few things in the kitchen, as I am a total kitchen novice, and help me to make 

a perfect pumpkin risotto.

For 4 people you'll need:

1 small pumpkin

1 tbsp olive oil (plus a bit for the pumpkin + seeds)

2 garlic cloves

4 spring onions

25g butter

200g risotto rice

2 tsp cumin

1l hot vegetable stock

Splash of white wine (and a glass for you!)

50g freshly grated parmesan 

Coriander, chopped

Pumpkin Seeds

Salt + Pepper

Cumin

Start by "gutting" the pumpkin (keeping the seeds to one side for roasting later). 

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Chop up the pumpkin into cubes (try not to cut yourself like i did). Put them on a baking tray, drizzle them with oil and roast for 30 minutes.

Scatter the seeds on to another baking tray with a drizzle of oil, cumin, salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes.

Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, smash up the garlic using a rolling pin (or any other food smashing item in your kitchen) and chop the spring onion. Make up the vegetable stock and grate the cheese.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil with the butter in a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic and spring onion. Once the spring onions are soft (but not brown!), add the risotto rice and cumin. Stir well so that the rice is covered in the buttery mixture for 1 minute.

Add half of a cup to the stock and stir often until the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Continue adding half a cup of stock at a time and stirring until you have used up all of the stock (this should take around 20 minutes).

Cook the rice until soft and stir in the grated parmesan cheese (leaving some for topping), coriander and roasted pumpkin. 

If you have any pumpkins left over, like we did, serve in an empty pumpkin for a spooky risotto effect (who knew risottos could look so scary?) with the roasted pumpkin seeds and enjoy!

Recipe idea from: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2556635/pumpkin-risotto