If you ever come to Albania, you will notice that we love Italian food. We are very close with Italy and because of the migration you can find here great places with Italian specialties. One of those recipes is risotto. Risotto is adjustable and healthy. It is rich in flavors and perfect dish if you have friends over.
This earthy mushroom and pumpkin risotto is what I am going to cook on Valentine’s day for my boyfriend and I. It is delicious and has a creamy texture that you can’t stop eating it. We love to serve this with white wine and eat it in a Saturday dinner but it is perfect for meal prep and it takes only 30 minutes to make it.
This risotto is made with button mushrooms but you can use any type of mushroom you have on hands, porcini mushroom is perfect also. I used pumpkin but you can also use butternut squash.
First I cooked the onion and celery in olive oil and then I added the spices and mushrooms.
After 5 minutes I added the soy sauce and white wine. When the mix is cooking in white wine, it’s time to add the rice. I used regular rice because I hadn’t arborio rice witch is perfect for risotto because it makes it more creamy.
Then I added vegetable broth and the diced pumpkin to cook along with other veggies and rice.
When the risotto is cooked, I added some nutritional yeast for a more cheesy flavor and gave a final stir. You have to let the risotto still for about 5 minutes after it is finished because the steam inside the pot, makes the rice more delicious and soft.
Tips to keep in mind when making a risotto:
- Use warm vegetable broth so you don’t stop the process of the rice cooking.
- Add the broth slowly, 1 ladle at a time, stirring to incorporate.
- Cook the rice over low to medium temperature (not a boiling temperature) so the rice can cook slowly and evenly and it doesn’t stick.
- Stir frequently as the risotto cooks to prevent sticking.
- Cook until just “al dente” to prevent a mushy texture.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Post your delicious pictures and don’t forget to tag a photo #bimorah on Instagram. Have a happy Valentine’s day!
This Earthy Mushroom & Pumpkin Risotto is easy and is made in only 30 minutes. It is delicious and creamy. It takes a few ingredients to make a tasteful recipe for a family gathering or on Valentine’s Day for your loved one. You can enjoy this with a white glass of wine.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 4 medium button mushrooms, diced ( about 250 gram of mushrooms)
- 2 cups of diced pumpkin (about 400 gram)
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (you can also use tamari)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 cups of rice (arborio is best for risotto)
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, for a cheesy flavor)
Preparation
- In a small pot heat the vegetable broth and let it sit on low heat, so it will be ready to use.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion and celery. let it cook for about 2 minutes until the onion is soft. Then add the mushrooms, rosemary, salt and pepper.
- Give everything a good stir and let them cook for another 5 minutes before adding the soy sauce, white wine, pumpkin and rice.
- Stir frequently so the rice doesn’t stick and it absorbs the white wine. This takes 1-2 minutes.
- Than start adding the vegetable broth one ladle at a time (about 1/2 cup). Giving it a stir once in a while and giving the risotto breaks to come back to a simmer, so the rice absorbs the vegetable broth. Continue the procedure for all the remaining vegetable broth and until the rice is “al dente”. It will take about 20 minutes.
- When the rice is cooked, add the nutritional yeast if using.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy it with white wine ! You can garnish with fresh parsley or other toppings of your choice!
