Artichoke and pumpkin risotto

Instructions for risotto

Mise en place

• 1 To be able to work comfortably afterwards, the first step we are going to take is to prepare the mise en place. We start by cleaning and cutting the pumpkin into small cubes.
• 2. Clean the outer leaves of the artichoke, cut it in half, and remove the fuzzy choke in the center. Then cut it into wedges. Place all the wedges in a bowl with water and a few pieces of lemon to prevent them from oxidizing.

Preparations

• 3 In that case, we can now begin with our risotto recipe. We put half the butter in a pot and melt it over low heat.
• 4 Next, we add the pumpkin and fry it for 5 minutes.
• 5. After 5 minutes, add about five tablespoons of water and bring the pumpkin to a gentle boil. It should cook for about 20 minutes.
• 6 Once it boils, add the artichoke to the pot and continue cooking.
• 7 While we are cooking the artichoke and pumpkin, we put the vegetable broth on to heat so that it is boiling when we start cooking the rice.
• 8 After 20 minutes, using a fork, mash the pumpkin and artichoke. Once there are no more pieces, add the rice to the pot and season with salt and pepper.

Cooking the rice

• 9 Finally, we must add the broth one ladleful at a time and cook the rice for about 17 to 20 minutes. This is the most important step in making risotto; we must add each ladleful of broth and not add the next until the rice has absorbed the existing broth. We must also stir the rice with a spatula during cooking; this will help the rice release its starch and make it creamier.
• 10 It is important to taste the rice after 17 minutes, so we can decide to cook it to our liking and leave it for a few more minutes if it is too hard.
• 11 The last step is called adding butter to the rice. Once the risotto is ready, remove the pot from the heat and add the remaining butter. Now, gently stir until it melts slowly for about 2 minutes.
• 12. To plate, spread the rice evenly so it doesn't continue cooking; you can do this by gently tapping the bottom of the plate. Finally, grate Parmesan cheese on top to taste.