Feeling hungry? Fill up with delicious pumpkin risotto! Pumpkin risotto is a dish for the patient, as you need to be careful with this recipe to get the texture just right. However, you'll quickly get the hang of it and the result is rewarding, so go ahead and step into the risotto chef's shoes!
This Italian dish uses special risotto rice, and unlike regular rice cooking, the rice is also sautéed briefly in oil before adding the broth. A splash of dry white wine is also added to give the dish flavor. The filling options are endless, and in addition to pumpkin, you can make risotto with mushrooms or seafood, for example. Pumpkin is wonderfully mild-flavored and fun-colored as a vegetable option for risotto filling, and many people enjoy it. In addition to regular pumpkin, feel free to try other members of the squash family, such as butternut squash.
For pumpkin risotto, we recommend white wines or perhaps rosés, and of course in this case, wine also goes into the dish itself. The white wine is absorbed into the rice early in the cooking process, and then you start adding broth to the pan one ladle at a time. In addition to cooking, you'll also need suitable wines for the dinner table, so let's sort out the beverage side of this Italian rice dinner. Also try the pumpkin risotto recipe below!
Pumpkin Risotto
2 onions
1 tbsp cooking oil (e.g. olive oil)
4 dl risotto rice
1–2 dl dry white wine
10–12 dl vegetable broth
500–600 g pumpkin
50 g butter
100 g Parmesan (grated)
Here's how:
Prepare the risotto in a high-sided pan or pot. Finely chop the onion and sauté it in oil. Then add the risotto rice. Stir the rice until it becomes translucent. Add the dry white wine to the pan and let it absorb into the rice. Once the wine has been absorbed, start adding hot vegetable broth to the pan one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add the next ladle only when the previous one has been absorbed into the rice. Cut the pumpkin into cubes and add them to the pan. Keep adding broth to the pan until the rice is soft and creamy, but still has some bite (al dente). Cooking usually takes about 14–18 minutes. The risotto should remain slightly loose. Add the butter and grated cheese and check the salt level. Add fresh herbs and/or lemon juice if desired.
Buon appetito, enjoy your meal!
Barth Fructus Riesling
It has to be Riesling. This favorite grape of many is easy to approach, as it often has a touch of sweetness instead of being bone dry. So it is this time too, as this wine is semi-sweet. It's also refreshingly acidic. Barth Fructus Riesling comes from Germany's Rheingau wine region, and as the name suggests, there's no shortage of fruitiness. It also works with rice dishes like sushi, and you can enjoy it with salads containing something salty. And if dessert is fruit salad – can you guess? – well, this works with that too. A multi-purpose wine just for you!
You can find price and product information here.
Wolfberger W3
Next we move to France's famous Alsace wine region. The wine's name, Wolfberger W3, refers to three classic Alsace grape varieties from which it's made: Muscat, Pinot Gris and Riesling. Riesling brings freshness and liveliness to the wine, Muscat offers fruity aromatics, and Pinot Gris finishes off the whole magnificence with fullness and richness. The result is a deliciously juicy wine that suits a wide range of food. You can also use it as a social wine, so here you have social drinks all in one. Try this if you're looking for a one-wine strategy!
You can find price and product information here.
Mezzacorona Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer ties your tongue in knots, but that's just an opening tactic! Now that it has your attention, we can examine a pure and wonderfully aromatic sipping wine that represents the best of its kind. Mezzacorona Gewürztraminer is only medium acidic, and the grape isn't quite mainstream, so new experiences await even seasoned white wine lovers.
It has developed this beautifully at the foot of the Alps in Alto Adige, where exceptional conditions with cool nights have increased the grapes' acidity and sunny days their ripeness. The stars and weather have been in the right position, so to speak, and you can definitely tell! If it happens that you have some Gewürztraminer left over for some reason, try it with Asian food or even with fatty fish.
You can find price and product information here.
Barton & Guestier Rosé
Risotto on a summer day even in the middle of winter? It's possible. Last but certainly not least, we present a lovely rosé as a companion to risotto. This quality rosé is a gentle breeze from France's famous Provence region, where it's always summer. Its trademark is a sun-sparkling chilled rosé. Côtes de Provence Rosé is a concept, the dominant wine type of its AC region and a product of its location. The dry rosé is medium acidic and in addition to risotto, it suits a wide range of foods, such as fish or meat seasoned with Provençal herbs. A safe choice when you want good French rosé alongside your risotto.
You can find price and product information here.
Order wines for pumpkin risotto!
Ordering is easy. By clicking “Go to order,” you will be taken to the Alko online store, where these wines have already been selected for you. You can add the wines you want to your shopping cart and choose delivery to your preferred store. Alko is responsible for the order, and there is no additional charge for this service.
