Pumpkin mushroom risotto

IT’S pumpkin season and if you enjoy risotto then you will love this recipe as it doesn’t involve standing over a pan ladling hot stock. Served straight from the oven this risotto is a perfectly tasty vegetarian dish.

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin, approximately 200g

250g fresh mixed dark mushrooms such as chestnut or girolles 3 tbsp olive oil 200g risotto rice such as arborio 200ml dry white wine 200ml evaporated milk 30g butter, chopped 50g freshly grated quality Parmesan

Salt & freshly milled black pepper

You will need a 2½” deep 7” Pyrex dish

Recipe:

Pre-heat the oven to 150c and lightly grease your Pyrex dish with Butter.

Remove the lid from the pumpkin and scoop out the flesh from the inside, reserve the seeds, grate or finely chop the flesh into a bowl. Peel or brush the mushrooms and slice. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped mushrooms then sauté for five minutes to soften. Pour in the wine and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce slightly, stir in the rice and coat with the reduction turning constantly for five minutes.

Pour the rice into the baking dish, add the pumpkin flesh together with the evaporated milk, mix thoroughly and season well. Place the dish in the centre of your pre-heated oven without covering. After 20 minutes grate the Parmesan into the risotto and return to the oven to bake for a further 20 minutes. Before serving stir in the butter and a little more parmesan. Enjoy!

Pumpkins are an antioxidant rich food, packed with BetaCarotene and Vitamin A.

Perfect for our eyesight, they’re also an excellent source of fibre and thought to have anti-cancer effects. Mushrooms are antiinflammatory, low in calories and rich in B Vitamins, Selenium and Copper.

Lesley has recently completed her studies in Nutrition & Health at Edge Hill University, she and husband Roberto own Roberto’s Italian on Ocean Plaza, Southport.

For more of Lesley’s Recipes go to www.robertositalian and Facebook.com/robertossouthport