Cooking with Michael Chiarello!

Celebrated Chef Michael Chiarello has so many interesting italian dishes, no matter what season.  Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends.  This Pumpkin Risotto with Pumpkin Butter certainly adds a different touch to your Thanksgiving menu.  Give it a try!

Ingredients

Serves: Serves 6 as a main course.
For the pumpkin puree

1 small pumpkin, 2-3 pounds (preferably a Sugar Pie pumpkin)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
Finely ground gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the risotto

7 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
Finely ground gray salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp NapaStyle Pumpkin Butter
1/2 cup finely shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the pumpkin in halfcrosswise. Trim about 1/2 inch off of the rounded end of each half so you canstand it upright on a cutting board. Working with one half at a time and using a sharp knife, cut downward toremove the hard shell.  Remove the seedsand chop the pumpkin into 1/2 inch chunks.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a bowl toss thepumpkin with the olive oil, rosemary, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the pumpkin,stirring one or twice, until very soft and beginning to brown, about 40-50minutes.  Remove the pumpkin from theoven and transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. You should have about 1 1/2 cups puree.

In a saucepan bring the chicken stock to a bare simmer andkeep hot over a very low flame.  In  a wide, deep saucepan combine the olive oil,onion, garlic, and two teaspoons salt over medium heat.  Cook until the onion sizzles, then reducethe heat to low. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft andtranslucent, about 10 minutes.  Add the riceand cook, stirring, until the rice is hot, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the wine and raise the heat to mediumhigh. Simmer, stirring often until almost all of the wine is absorbed.  Begin adding the hot stock one cup at atime, stirring often and adding more stock only when the previous addition hasbeen absorbed. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady simmer. Cook forabout 8-10 minutes and stir in the 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree.  Continue to add the stock in one cupadditions stirring until the rice is creamy and al dente, about 10 more minutes,you may not need all of the stock. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter,pumpkin butter, cheeses, and rosemary into the risotto, mixing them inthoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once