Meatless Monday with Milanese Style Risotto with Pumpkin

As a green call center, we endorse the Meatless Monday movement in support of reducing meat consumption to improve personal and planetary health. Today we bring you a creamy risotto that will make good use of those great pumpkins that are in abundance right now. This hearty Milanese-Style Risotto with Pumpkin is the perfect meal as the cold weather descends upon us. This recipe for Milanese-Style Risotto with Pumpkin is one of the new APB recipes featured in Rachael Rays’ new app Tasty Bytes. So let’s get cooking.

Ingredients
• 1 small cooking pumpkin or 1 medium-large butternut squash
• EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• A generous handful pumpkin seeds, about 1/3 cup
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts or shelled, chopped pistachio nuts
• 1 quart [vegetarian] chicken [or vegetable] stock
• 1 generous pinch saffron threads
• 2 cups water
• 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table
• Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. To peel pumpkin, cut in half then scoop out seeds. Cut into wedges and carve flesh away from skin and chop into small bite-sized pieces. For the butternut squash cut in half across separating the upper half from the bulbous bottom. Then, use a sharp vegetable peeler or pairing knife to trim away skin. Cut off top stem and chop into bite-sized pieces. Halve bulbous end, seed and chop. Lightly dress pumpkin or squash in EVOO, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Arrange pieces on a baking sheet or cooling rack set over baking sheet. Roast 35-40 minutes, until very tender. Toast the pumpkin seeds and nuts in the oven the last few minutes of roasting time. Purée half the squash or pumpkin in a food processor until smooth; reserve the remainder in dish.
Meanwhile, combine stock and water and saffron threads in a saucepot. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and keep liquids warm. In a round-bottomed pan or skillet heat EVOO, 2 turns of the pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions and soften a few minutes. Stir in Arborio and toast a minute or 2, add wine and let it absorb completely. Add saffron stock in small batches of a few ladles at a time, stirring a minute or 2 for each addition of stock. Cook the liquids out and continue to add more a ladle or two at a time for 18 minutes. Stir in butter, cheese and purée of squash or pumpkin. Serve in shallow bowls topped with pieces of roasted squash, seeds, nuts and herbs.

APB: Milanese-Style Risotto with Pumpkin will yield four portions. This is a restaurant quality meal that you can easily make yourself at home. When company is coming over this is great meal to make in order to impress. Complete this offering with a salad served with either an Italian or balsamic vinaigrette. This risotto is a hearty meal that everyone will appreciate and even those who are not participating in the Meatless Monday movement might just change their minds when they have a bite of your awesome risotto.

Join the movement and encourage your co-workers to go Meatless on Mondays at your green call centre, factory, office, shop or salon. Enjoy!