Anyone in need for a little vitamin boost and comfort food for the darker autumn days? Half healthy, half comfort – let’s cook Risotto Zucca e Gorgonzola! This dish is another great example of the Italian 𝒄𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒑𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂, you need just a few ingredients with strong flavors to create magic.
All you need for 4 main dishes:
– 300g carnaroli rice
– 2 shallots
– 250g butternut squash (or other kind of pumpkin)
– A glass of dry white wine
– 150g gorgonzola
– 2 liters vegetable stock
How to:
1. Boil 2 liters of water with chosen vegetables or use ready vegetable stock.
2. Peel and cut the shallots (or yellow onion) in small cubes and fry it in a pan with a bit of olive oil.
3. Peel the butternut squash (or other pumpkin) and cut it in small cubes, and throw in the pan with the onions and let roast for about one minute.
4. Add couple of deciliters of the vegetable stock to the pan and sink the temperature a bit. Let the taste get around for couple of minutes while the pumpkins are getting a bit softer.
5. Meanwhile roast the rice on high temperature for couple of minutes on a clean pan, no butter or oil needed. This process is called tostatura, and will activate the rice and ease the process of absorbing all flavors in the end. When the rice gets a bit transparent and warm it is ready.
6. Pour the glass of dry white wine to the pan with the rice, high heat here! Let alcohol evaporate and add the rice to the pumpkin and onion mix.
7. Add a bit of stock at a time, just enough to cover the rice and let the risotto slowly form. Not too much stock at once, we don’t wanna make a soup! Check the cooking time form the rice package, and let the risotto simmer on low temperature adding a bit of stock every now and then, so the rice is covered all the time.
8. Clean the gorgonzola cheese and cut in cubes.
9. Taste and check that the rice is almost done (al dente), turn off the temperature and throw in the cheese cubes. This phase is called la mantecatura and traditionally done with butter and parmesan. In this recipe we only need gorgonzola cheese. Mix the risotto well and leave it for about 2-3 minutes without touching! Plate and enjoy!
Buon appetito!