… firstly an apology – as many of you will know I am a veracious reader and commenter of many blogs but these last couple of weeks I’ve simply been up to my neck in the wonderfully and incredibly intense world of mums show live which is now only 3 weeks away and as you can imagine I simply haven’t had very much time for doing anything else outside of this… I am still eating of course and will try and post when I can but this is just a little apology for the silence… I promise we’ll have everything back to wonderful very soon…
… I was recently sent some beautiful products from the very good people at Rediscover Italy which is a project aiming to raise awareness of the wonderful Northern Italian regions of Emilia Romagna, Lombardi and Veneto. These three regions, collectively known as the Unesco Quadrilateral, are the birthplace of world renowned Italian classics including Parma ham, Parmesan and Grana Padano cheese, traditional balsamic vinegar, white Polesine garlic and dozens of fine wines… here’s how I celebrated…
oven roasted pumpkin risotto
I was sent the most wonderful small pumpkin type thing, the like of which I’d never seen before… it had the most glorious deep orange interior and a divine earthy aroma… I also received a tin of the swankiest looking Ca Vecchia half-milled, vialone nano rice which are probably the most superior rice grains I’ve ever cooked with, let alone tasted… time being of ultimate essence here I’ve oven baked it all in one tray and it was, quite frankly, bloody good!
1 large pumpkin – peeled and chopped into fork-sized chunks
1 medium onion – finely chopped
1 whole garlic bulb – pulled into cloves but not peeled
1 glass white wine (Italian of course)
plenty of fresh herbs such as lemon thyme and oregano
400g rice
1 pint of vegetable stock
1 large chunk of the most incredible Grana Padano cheese you can afford
bung all the veg, herbs and seasoning into an roasting dish, splash over some olive oil, cover with foil and bung in the oven on 180C for about 20 mins or until the squash is soft and the onions are beginning to colour
set aside the foil, throw in a glass full of wine and the rice and place it back in the oven for a further 5 mins, then pour in the stock, cover with the foil and pop it back in the oven for roughly 20 mins or until the rice is how you like it
remove from the oven and then stir in a very large handful of Grana Padano before serving (you can pop it back into the oven for 5 mins if you want the cheese to do even more magic stuff…)
eat and of course, enjoy!
No need to apologise for the quiet times – work and life sometimes just have to take over. But pumpkin would have to be one of my all time favourite vegetable, I think I am addicted to its bright orange colour sweet taste and versatility and simple good flavours like this risotto would win my heart (and tummy) every time. Lovely emmmmm.
nice recipe 🙂 all the best for the show
Always wanted to try risotto! Looks delish!
Now that IS my sort of dish! I thought you were going to say that your low profile in the Blogosphere recently had been due to a VISIT to the Unesco Quadrilateral. Now wouldn't that be a great trip for an eminent food blogger like yourself?!
This sounds so delicious. I love risotto in any form but oven roasted risottos just make life so much easier!
And there was me thinking I'd upset you ……
Ooh how delicious, pumpkin risotto is one of my favourites, especially if made with a good pumpkin – would love to have seen a picture.
Good luck with Mums Show Live.] (whatever that is)!
Oh my kind of dinner! I really must get back into baking risottos again….always love them and takes out a huge chunk of effort!
Doesn't this rice dish look delicious. I've heard about making risotto in the oven , but have never done it myself. Grana Pandano is a delicious cheese just to eat in chunks too.
Looks like such a cozy dish of dinner I DO love a good gooey bowl of risotto … funny enough, sometimes the leftovers are my 'bowl of cereal' in the morning …
Wow, pumpkin this time of year! Lucky you! I have made pumpkin risotto, but on the stove top. I love it served with sea scallops!!! I will definitely give this a try!
P.S. Just noticed you have three New England bloggers in a row commenting on your post! XO
Sounds delicious – I haven't done an oven-baked risotto yet, always on the hob, but this is on the list to do now 🙂
Oh My! This looks lovely.one of my favourite recipes is a squash risotto,and I'm always on the lookout for differnt variations.
Good luck with the show! 🙂
Oven baked risotto is amazing but I see you didn't cover yours like I do mine – will give your method a try and see if there's any difference, although I won't have the amazing risotto rice!
We miss you but understand, I've been a bit absent myself. Lovely supper dish, just the sort of thing I like.
I DO love a baked risotto and this looks amazing…..know how it is to be MIA and that's okay, as long as I know you'll be back!
Uhhhmmmm.. I think you have a pretty darn good reason for being out of action for a while… good luck with the show 🙂
The risotto looks and sounds amazing! I still have yet to make risotto (I know, I know, what kind of blogger am I, right?) I will order it anywhere I go, but Chris will not eat it, so I do not make it…. maybe I need to change that!