Pumpkin & goat's cheese risotto

Total Time: 55 mins

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 20g unsalted butter
• 1 large leek (white part only), finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500g pumpkin, peeled, diced into 1cm pieces
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tbs chopped thyme leaves
• 100ml dry white wine
• 900ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 250g arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (60g) frozen peas
• 100g soft goat's cheese, crumbled
• Roasted pumpkin seeds and Parmesan 

Method

1. Melt butter in a deep frypan over low heat. Cook leek for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, pumpkin, half the zest and half the thyme, then stir to coat. Add wine, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until pumpkin is almost cooked.
2. Meanwhile, bring stock to the boil in a pan. Reduce heat to very low and simmer.
3. Add the rice to pumpkin mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes to coat the grains. Add stock 1 ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 12 minutes, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed and rice is cooked but firm to the bite. Season to taste. Stir in peas and half the cheese.
4. Serve topped with the remaining zest, thyme, cheese and pumpkin seeds. Plus a little bit parmesan cheese.

Notes

• We used roasted pumpkin for this recipe, and gorgonzola in place of the goat's cheese. While you make the risotto, toss the pumpkin and 4 unpeeled garlic cloves in a little olive oil and roast for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C. Add the roasted pumpkin and peeled garlic cloves to the risotto with the peas and cheese.