It is pumpkin season and I was wondering what to cook with pumpkin as the main ingredient. After thinking of pumpkin pie, bread, muffins, and even pancakes, risotto came to mind.
Then, I started to plan the recipe step by step: sautéing onion and garlic in butter, adding the rice and wine (risottos are always better when you cook them with wine), then some vegetable broth or water (I finally chose water because I didn’t have any broth made), then the pumpkin puree and, of course, some cream and cheese to enrich it…
But I was missing something sexier…
…And suddenly, there was light: crunchy bacon bits! Yesssssss!
I tried my recipe and it was just perfect, creamy, and colorful. The wine, bacon bits and parmesan cheese, combined, make a good flavorful dish and who can resist this bright pumpkin color?
I made it last Tuesday and it was a success. But it was cloudy and I couldn’t shoot the pictures, so I made it again today.
It makes a nice appetizer, can be served with fish or meat or just as a light meal by itself. I hope you like my recipe!
Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon Bits | Ingredients for 4-6 portions
8 slices of frozen bacon, cut in ¼ inch strips
3 Tbs. of butter
1 big onion coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup of rice
1 ½ cups of white wine
1 ¼ cups of pumpkin puree
2-2 ½ cups of water
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ Tsp. of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated (I used Parmigiano Reggiano)
Chives for garnish
In a skillet, cook the bacon on medium heat until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the heat and put it on absorbent paper towels. Divide and reserve. In a large saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic until they are soft and transparent, 4-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the wine and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until almost absorbed. Add the pumpkin, half of the bacon bits, nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Stirring constantly add the water one cup at a time, and cook until the liquids are absorbed. This process can take around 30 minutes. Add the cream and cheese and stir. Serve immediately. Garnish with the rest of the bacon bits and chives.
To print the recipe click here.
