Warming Pumpkin Risotto with Chorizo and Wilted Spinach
Risotto offers a reassuring supper, rich but light and so adaptive to welcome many seasonal ingredients, herbs and spices. What’s better than adding nutritious pumpkin, spinach and warming spices as we dive into Autumn and Winter? The chorizo, spices and pumpkin flavours in this recipe greatly compliment each other, making this a super tasty supper.
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 oven 180C
- 1 deep pan
Ingredients
- 250 g Crown Prince Pumpkin Cubed into bite size pieces
- 150 g Crown Prince pumpkin grated
- 150 g Tractor pumpkin or carrot grated
- 200 g chorizo sliced (use good chorizo)
- 400 g baby spinach wilted
- 300 g risotto rice
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 50 g grated parmesan (30g for recipe, 20g for serving)
- olive oil
- 1 knob butter
- 3 tsp bouillon mixed into 2 pints hot water
- 1 glass white wine (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- Himalayan Salt
- Black Pepper
- Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 drizzle balsamic syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Toss the chopped pumpkin in olive oil, sprinkle with some mixed herbs, salt and pepper and spread on a baking tray(This also makes as tasty vegetable dish to serve anytime with other meals!)250 g Crown Prince Pumpkin, olive oil, 1 tsp mixed herbs, Himalayan Salt, Black Pepper
- Place the pumpkin cubes into the oven at 180oC and roast for about 25mins, while you are making the risotto. Give them a toss every 10 mins until they are soft in the middle and crisp at the edges.
- Take a deep pan, ideally with a base not bigger than the heat source for even cooking, add some olive oil, the garlic and onion and cook on a medium heat until the onion is translucent2 cloves garlic, olive oil, 1 onion
- Add in the chorizo and let it warm through to allow all the flavours into the pan200 g chorizo
- Add the risotto rice, followed by the spices and coat the rice fully300 g risotto rice, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric
- Stir the ingredients and let them sweat together for a minute or two before adding in the glass of wine; the wine is optional but adds to the flavour. Stir the risotto until the liquid is absorbed1 glass white wine
- Slowly start to add the hot stock, a ladle at a time and stir until each label is absorbed. Keep going with this process until you’re about ½ way through your stock supply3 tsp bouillon
- Add the grated pumpkin and stir and then continue to slowly add the remaining stock, always stirring until you get the preferred risotto consistency. Note – You might not need all the hot liquid but you might need a little extra. See Top Tip!150 g Crown Prince pumpkin, 150 g Tractor pumpkin or carrot, 3 tsp bouillon
- Test and taste the rice and increase the seasoning if required. Turn the heat source off and pop a lid on your risotto to keep it warm.
- Check the pumpkin cubes and if ready remove from the oven and keep warm.
- Wilt spinach in a pan with a knob of butter and some grated nutmeg.400 g baby spinach, 1 pinch ground nutmeg, 1 knob butter
- Stir through 30g of parmesan into your risotto. It’s important to add the parmesan at the very end of of cooking.50 g grated parmesan
- To serve, add a spoonful of spinach to the base of each plate or bowl, add a spoonful or two of the creamy risotto.Pop a pile of crispy pumpkin on the top of the risotto and scatter some chopped parsley and the remaining parmesan on the top of each plate.If you have it, drizzle a little balsamic syrup across the top.
- Serve immediately with a glass of Italian red wine
Notes
Top Tip
Use warm or hot stock when you make risotto and add it slowly, only a ladle at time until completely absorbed, before adding another. You can’t rush a risotto. You need patience and strong arms. Risotto needs to be continuously stirred to help release the starches that make it famously creamy. The end result wants to be whole rice that’s al dente. Avoid a rice pudding consistency.Did you know?
Pumpkin contains ‘good carbs’ for slow release energy, keeping you fuller for longer. Pumpkin is wonderfully fibrous and as such promotes good gut health. It is packed with vitamins and minerals: potassium which is important for the nervous system and heart function and vitamin A, which is vital to support healthy eyes. Spinach has a rich tapestry of essential vitamins and minerals, including protein, and together with the chorizo, makes this recipe super tasty and nutritious.This recipe has been lovingly created for Kilduff Farm by Sonia Lee, LeeLifeNutition.
Sonia is a business mentor and accredited coach but also an enthusiastic cook, nutritionally conscious recipe writer and food photographer. She has a Diploma in Culinary Medicine and Applied Nutrition. As a mother of two she is passionate about nutritional content, wellbeing and the intelligent sourcing of ingredients in her cooking. Sonia greatly supports the genuine care and attention that the team at Kilduff Farm invests into their pumpkins and is excited to be working with them to develop and promote their use.