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+ servings

Pumpkin Risotto from Prego in Houston

This recipe comes from the Italian restaurant Prego in Houston. It's made with porcini mushrooms, roasted corn, and julienne leeks.
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small to medium pumpkin
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • ½ cup roasted corn
  • 1 small yellow onion diced finely
  • 1 cup uncooked arborio rice
  • 3 cups warm chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp julienne leeks
  • 1 tbsp diced shallots
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp white wine
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 12 dry porcini mushrooms *Moisten first with a little white wine
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 3 tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
  • salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • fresh thyme and endive for garnish
  • ½ lb sauteed shrimp

Instructions
 

  • Cut pumpkin into large chunks and remove seeds. 
  • Cut one small strip of pumpkin, enough to yield ½ cup pumpkin cubes, and set aside.
  • Brush large pumpkin chunks with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast at 400℉ for 30-45 minutes.
  • When done roasting, remove pumpkin meat from the skin and pass the pumpkin through a sieve to remove any fibrous matter. You will need ½ cup of pumpkin puree for the risotto.
  • To prepare the reserved pumpkin cubes, remove the skin, cut the reserved strip into chunks, and then boil in salted water until al dente.
  • To roast corn, place one whole ear of corn, husk intact, in a 400℉ oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cut kernels from the cob.  Set aside.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan and sauté onion until translucent.
  • Add arborio rice, stirring often, until rice is lightly browned.
  • Keep chicken stock warm on the stove, and slowly add the stock one ladle at a time to the rice, stirring constantly until the rice absorbs all the stock.
  • In a separate pan, sauté leeks, shallots, and thyme in 1 tbsp olive oil for 1-2 minutes. 
  • Deglaze pan with white wine. Then add heavy cream and bring to a boil.
  • Stir in mushrooms, corn, pumpkin puree, and butter. 
  • Add rice, stir, then mix in cheese.
  • Divide risotto between plates. Top with pumpkin cubes and toasted pumpkin seeds. Garnish with fresh thyme and endive if desired.
  • *Add sauteed shrimp, if desired.
Keyword Pumpkin Recipes, risotto, roasted corn
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