Risotto zucca e pancetta (risotto with pumpkin and pancetta)

This risotto packs a punch with a couple of simple trickles – pumpkin roasted in balsamic vinegar, and a salty savoury touch of pancetta cooked until it's crispy. Recipe adapted by Silvia Colloca.

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

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Ingredients

• 1 small butternut pumpkin, halved, seeded and sliced into 3-4 pieces
• 60 ml (¼ cup) balsamic vinegar
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 100 g pancetta, cut into small cubes
• 60 g butter, diced
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 440 g (2 cups) arborio rice
• 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 35 g (⅓ cup) finely grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
2. Place the cut pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with the vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes or until tender. Scoop out the flesh into a bowl, mash until smooth and set aside.
3. Place the stock in a saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low so the stock is barely simmering.
4. Heat another tablespoon of oil in a large, heavy–based saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside, leaving as much fat in the pan as possible.
5. Add half the butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook over low – medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until just softened. Add the rice, stir for 1 minute, then add the wine, bring to the boil and to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
6. Add the hot stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring occasionally until the stock is absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 15-18 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Remove from the heat, stir in the pumpkin, the remaining butter, cheese and a little extra stock. Cover with a lid and leave for 2 minutes.
7. Ladle the risotto into shallow bowls, top with a grind of black pepper and crisp pancetta and serve immediately.

 

Silvia Colloca shares her Italian family secrets in the brand-new third season of Cook like an Italian.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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