PUMPKIN PURÉE & MASCARPONE RISOTTO

This is a great vegetarian dish. We made it on our Saturday show using a tin of pumpkin purée and were blown away by the taste. You’ll find it in major supermarkets. The lemon zest is the key ingredient for an extra burst of flavour. You can serve it on its own or dressed with salad leaves and sage, as I’ve done here.

Serves 4

For the pumpkin risotto

● 50g (1¾oz) butter

● 1 shallot, peeled and diced

● 1 clove of garlic, chopped

● A few sprigs thyme

● 200g (7oz) risotto rice

● 500ml (18fl oz) vegetable stock

● 400g (14oz) pumpkin purée (we used America’s Finest Solid Pack Pumpkin)

● Salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 50g (1¾oz) mascarpone

● 75g (2¾oz) vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated

● A squeeze of lemon juice For the salad

● A small handful of red chicory leaves

A small handful of lettuce

leaves, chopped

● 2tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds

● 2tbsp herb-infused oil

● 2tbsp fried sage leaves (see tip overleaf)

For the dressing

● 1tsp vegetable oil

● 1tsp pumpkin seed oil

● 1tsp white wine vinegar

To make the risotto, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the diced shallot, garlic, thyme and risotto rice. Stir in ¾ of the vegetable stock. Bring this to the boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is just cooked, adding the remaining stock if needed. Add the pumpkin purée for the last five minutes. Season to taste.

When ready to serve, stir through the mascarpone, grated cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

In a bowl combine the chicory and lettuce. Mix the dressing together and spoon over the leaves. Add the pumpkin seeds and serve separately or arrange the risotto on plates and top with the salad. Drizzle with the herb oil and top with the sage leaves.