This Easy Pumpkin & Smoked Mozzarella Risotto is perfect for fall! This is so creamy and delicious, every bite is bursting with so much flavor!
Risotto is serious Italian comfort food.
I love it because you can always change it up by adding different ingredients. You may have noticed I’ve been on a bit of a Risotto kick lately. I’ve made a Saffron Sun-Dried Tomato Zucchini Risotto, Butternut Squash Risotto, and Arancini di Riso (which is a great way to use up any leftover Risotto).
So today I’m putting a new spin on Risotto by using Pumpkin to flavor it with. If you’ve never tried a Pumpkin Risotto, then you definitely need to give this a try!
Trust me, you will love it! 🙂
This Risotto is like sexiness on a plate. It’s
Cheesy
Savory
Creamy
Comforting
& Totally Orgasmik!
If you try this recipe let us know what you think! Leave a comment below, rate it, share it on social media, or take a picture and tag it #orgasmikcooking on Instagram! We LOVE seeing what you guys cook up. 🙂
Buon Appetito!
Pumpkin & Smoked Mozzarella Risotto
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Vegetarian
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh cubed Pumpkin
- 1 small Onion chopped
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 2 Tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 3 sprigs of fresh Thyme
- 3 sprigs of fresh Oregano
- 3-4 whole cloves Garlic peeled
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 Tbs EVOO
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
- 1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli Rice
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 cup Dry White Cooking Wine
- 2 cups hot Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbs Butter
- 2 Tbs crumbled Pecorino Cheese
- 1/2 cup Smoked Mozzarella chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Add cubed Pumpkin, and 1 small Onion chopped to a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray
- Drizzle 2 Tbs EVOO over Pumpkin
- Sprinkle 2 tsp Salt and 1 tsp Pepper over Pumpkin and toss to coat evenly
- Place Bay Leaves, Thyme, and Oregano on top of Pumpkin
- Bake 15 minutes and remove 1/2 cup of Pumpkin and set aside
- Place the baking pan back into the oven and bake 10 more minutes until Pumpkin pierces easily with a fork
- Remove Garlic, Bay Leaves, Thyme, and Oregano (discard)
- Blend remainder of Pumpkin and Onion into a food processor for 30 seconds until smooth and set aside
- Start the Risotto process
- Preheat EVOO in a medium saucepan over medium heat
- When oil gets hot, add Onion and saute until golden color (approximately 3-4 minutes)
- Add Rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until toasted
- Add White Wine and cook until Wine is reduced or evaporated
- Add in 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock and stir (it’s important to keep stirring – see notes below)
- When Vegetable Stock starts to get evaporated (after about 5 minutes), add another 1/2 cup of Vegetable Stock
- Add in cubed and pureed Pumpkin
- Add 1/2 cup Vegetable Stock approximately every 5 minutes, stirring constantly (total cook time for the risotto is about 20 minutes)
- Taste and add more Salt/Pepper if needed
- Taste the rice and when you are 1 minute before reaching the right bite “al dente” (meaning rice should be tender but still firm to the bite), add Butter, Pecorino, and Mozzarella
- Turn off heat and stir quickly until creamy in texture
- Serve immediately
- Garnish with fresh Thyme
Notes
Make sure your Vegetable Stock stays hot. It’s important to add a little bit of the hot Vegetable Stock at a time so the rice is cooked slowly and the stock gets absorbed. This method releases the rice’s starches, producing a velvety, creamy dish.
It’s very important to keep stirring the Risotto as it’s cooking, especially as the stock gets absorbed, to prevent scorching.
If you run out of Vegetable Stock and you find this is too dry at the end, you can add in a little hot water as a substitute.
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