Pumpkin Risotto & Blue Cheese

This pumpkin risotto is cooked in the classic way resulting in a rich and creamy autumn meal featuring blue cheese, walnuts and sage!

The Best Autumn Risotto!

I love cooking risotto, for me it is a dish that I cook when I don’t know what else to cook.

You can make them from pretty much any ingredients you have lying around. Mine vary from smoked mackerel and pea risotto all the way through to a delicious tomato risotto.

The cathartic adding of stock and stirring whilst sipping wine and listening to music is my idea of relaxing.

This pumpkin risotto recipe uses some of the finest autumnal ingredients that just work well together to create comfort food heaven.

Pumpkin is such a great ingredient at this time of year. This pumpkin risotto relies on sage, blue cheese and walnuts to create perfect flavour combinations.

This cooking malarkey is simple!

It is nothing more than a series of techniques which can all be learned.

Then you need a set of flavours and textures that work well together. You can mix and match those in the same way music takes chords and notes to form riffs.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree.

If you are from the UK like me then store-bought puree will be largely unheard of.

It is fortunately very easy to make and it freezes very well so there are no excuses for skipping this pureed pumpkin risotto.

I usually use butternut squash for this as they yield a better quantity for two or the smaller family.

Cut your pumpkin or butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and then rub some olive oil into the cut face. You can pierce with garlic at this point if you want as I do in my roasted butternut squash soup.

Sprinkle over some salt and pepper and roast for an hour and a half or until soft at 200°C or 400°F.

Then allow to cool, scoop out the flesh and pass through a vegetable mill or blend.

Pumpkin Recipes for Two.

I spent years not cooking with pumpkin because I hate waste.

When you are cooking dinner for two, even the smallest of butternut squashes can leave a load of left overs.

But fear not, I have a few pumpkin recipes that mean you can have a pumpkin feast whilst not feel like you are eating the same thing day after day.

The first thing you need to do is understand how to store squash or pumpkin when you have cut it open.

Try and keep it in a large “lump” and wrap it tightly in cling film and keep it in the fridge. You should get 3 or 4 days out of it.

I personally do not like freezing pumpkin unless it has been pureed!

Now the recipes, here you go:

• Burmese Pumpkin Curry.
• Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta.
• Butternut Squash Chilli.
• Lamb Kofta with Roasted Butternut Squash.
• Butternut Squash Tagine.

And if you absolutely need dessert then you could follow up this pumpkin and blue cheese risotto with this small pumpkin cake designed for two!