Pumpkin Miso Risotto

Nov 3

You didn’t think I could let fall go by without another risotto dish for y’all, did you?! Risotto base remains same as always with olive oil and slightly browned butter but then enter…. miso paste. The miso and Parmigiano Reggiano build on each other to create a luxurious sense of umami that goes brilliantly with the pumpkin and spices in the risotto. Such a lovely balance of flavors for a cozy autumn evening in. Now, let’s get cookin’!

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1 quart (ab 4 cups) low sodium vegetable broth*
2 heavy splashes dry white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
2 pads salted butter, optional but encouraged *wink wink*
1 bay leaf
1 tsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tbsp white miso paste
1/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 small shallots, minced (or 1 large shallot, minced)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
3 pinches sugar**

*You can make your own vegetable broth, of course, if you’d prefer
**Taste when the rice is about al dente & if it needs the sugar, add & taste again before adding another pinch

Instructions

Heat olive oil (and butter if you’re using) in a Dutch oven or large sauté pan—you really want a pan w/higher walls! Add onions and shallots and cook down for about 5 minutes until soft. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Next add in your rice and toast in the pan for about 3-5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds to ensure the rice doesn’t burn.
While the rice is toasting, add your vegetable stock to a saucepan on a burner near where your risotto pan is on the stove for easier transferring of the stock. Bring stock to a simmer and allow to continue to heat, but not bubble in the pan.
After the rice has toasted, add in the miso paste and pumpkin purée. Mix and begin ladling the stock into the rice, one ladle at a time, stirring as you go. Continue adding in stock until you’ve added about 1/2 the stock amount to the rice. Add in your spices and bay leaf. Stir and allow to cook on a medium-low for about 5 mins, stirring constantly.
Add in the wine and stir again. Resume ladling in the stock until you’ve added all the stock. Continue to cook the risotto until you taste it and it is no longer hard in the middle of the grain, yet not completely soft entirely—what Italians call “al dente.”
At this point, add in your Parmigiano Reggiano and stir again. Taste test and add in salt, pepper, and sugar (if you see fit). Serve immediately with a final sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano and a crack of black pepper.. You can most definitely add a protein to this if you wish - I love a simple grilled chicken or even salmon alongside this risotto. But of course, I also love eating it straight from the pot. Enjoy!