Why all of that stirring? Well, that’s a little complicated to explain. Basically, you are taking very hard grains of rice and slowly introducing liquid into them in small increments so that the rice fully absorbs it, getting bigger and creamier with each addition. You have to stir it constantly because you want the absorption of the liquid to be uniform within your pan of rice.

This version of risotto is very fall-centric, featuring pumpkin and dried cranberries. It is also totally vegetarian. I like this because I always have my vegetarian friends over for Thanksgiving dinner, and I like to make sure the dishes they can eat are just as fancy as those everyone else is eating.

 

INGREDIENTS

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 shallot minced

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1½ cups Arborio rice

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Fresh ground black pepper

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

½ cup Craisins® Dried Cranberries

 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the stock and pumpkin over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cover and keep warm.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Once the foaming subsides, add the shallot and salt. Cook until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme and rice and cook for one minute longer.

Add the white wine vinegar and a ladle of warm stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated. Add another ladle of stock, and continue cooking until evaporated again. Continue cooking, adding a ladle of stock at a time, and allowing to evaporate in between each addition. Cook until the rice is done, but has a bite to it, it should be creamy in texture, and will take about 20-25 minutes.

Mix in the parmesan, half of the parsley, and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining parsley, goat cheese and dried cranberries. Serve immediately.

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Quick Tip:  The really great thing about risotto is that you can add just about anything you can think of to it, such as veggies, meats and fruits.

Recipe and image courtesy of Erin at Platings and Pairings