Risotto alla Zucca goes wrong when pumpkin is treated like a sauce. Too much puree too early makes the rice heavy, while roasted cubes give sweetness and texture without turning the pan stiff.
We use roasted pumpkin plus a small mashed portion, then finish with butter and cheese off the heat. The final cue is movement. A good risotto should spread slowly when spooned onto the plate, not sit upright like mashed potatoes.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the pumpkin with 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt, then roast 18 to 22 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Mash one third of the roasted pumpkin with a fork and keep the rest in cubes. Keep the stock hot in a separate saucepan.
Warm the remaining olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Add the onion and cook 6 to 8 minutes until soft, then add the rice and toast 2 minutes, stirring until the grains feel hot.
Add the wine and cook until the pan is nearly dry. Add hot stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and adding more only when the previous ladle is mostly absorbed.
After 12 minutes, stir in the mashed pumpkin. Continue adding stock until the rice is tender with a firm center, 16 to 18 minutes total.
Fold in the pumpkin cubes and sage. Remove from heat, add the butter and Parmigiano Reggiano, cover 2 minutes, then stir hard until the risotto flows slowly from the spoon.
You made Risotto alla Zucca. Time to eat.
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If the risotto tightens before serving, loosen it with a small ladle of hot stock. The final texture should be fluid, not thick.
Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.
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