Pumpkin Risotto

It's no secret that I love risotto. There's something so fancy and comforting about it. And I love how you can add all sorts of veggies or meats to change up the flavors. You can eat a giant bowl of risotto as a meal, or serve it as a side dish. Today we are talking about (you'll never guess) pumpkin risotto! I have had many variations and I must say, this is one of my absolute favorites.Pumpkin Risotto, makes 2-3 servings. If you've never made risotto before check out this basics post.

Needed: 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, 1 small finely chopped red bell pepper, 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 cup arborio rice, 3 cups stock (vegetable or chicken is preferred), 1/2 cup wine (red or white, I had white on hand this day), a generous 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup pumpkin puree, salt and pepper to taste and a few chopped scallions for garnish.

In a pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and sautee the onion, bell pepper and garlic until the onion begins to soften. Now add in the rice and sautee until it begins to look translucent. In another pot heat the stock and wine over low heat. Begin adding 1 cup of the stock/wine mixture to the rice. As it cooks continue to stir so that rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once most of the liquid is absorbed add another cup of warm stock/wine. Continue until the rice is full cooked, I always check by eating a few grains and seeing the centers are still hard. If you run out of stock/wine before the rice is fully cooked just add a little water. I ended up discarding about 1/4 cup of my stock/wine as my rice didn't end up needed the full amount. Fickle risotto. Once done stir in the cheese and pumpkin. Serve hot with a few scallions on top.If you are not a fan of cooking with wine feel free to use all stock instead. Enjoy! xo. Emma