Pumpkin risotto

Ingredients

• 700/750 g Mantovana pumpkin
• 350 g Vialone Nano rice (from Mantua) or Carnaroli
• Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1/2 glass of dry white wine
• 1 shallot (half if large)
• 15/20 g butter
• Parmigiano Reggiano, to stir in, to taste
• 1/2 celery stalk, 1 carrot, 1 yellow onion for the broth

Method

• Clean the pumpkin and cut the flesh into small pieces.
• Prepare the broth with celery, carrot, onion, pumpkin scraps (removing the seeds), and water to cover the vegetables. Cook until the water simmers and adjust the salt at the end of cooking.  
• In another pot, chop a small shallot (or half of a large one) and sauté it in extra virgin olive oil. Add the pumpkin and cook, adding a little broth until it becomes soft.  
• Season with salt or Bolognese brine; if you don’t have it, you can sauté the pumpkin with a sprig of rosemary and a couple of sage leaves (which should be removed afterward).  
• Toast the rice in a saucepan, then deglaze with 1/2 glass of white wine.
• Cook the rice, adding broth gradually. After 5 minutes, add the slightly mashed pumpkin.  
• Continue cooking the rice, adding broth as needed.  
• Keep the rice al dente and stir everything in with the butter. Add Parmigiano Reggiano to taste, little by little.  

This is the base of the dish, to which you can add Mantovan sausage (as shown in the picture), crumbled amaretti (to recall the flavor of the pumpkin tortello), or a reduction of balsamic vinegar.