Pumpkin Carrot Risotto

Ingredients:

8 Tbsp butter (or margarine)*

1 onion, finely diced

9 oz pumpkin, diced**

3 medium carrots, diced

8 cups vegetable stock

2 cups arborio rice

romano or Parmesan cheese

nutmeg

black pepper

sliced green onion

*I used vegan buttery spread so that roommate #1 could eat this

**This is what the recipe calls for, but in actuality I have NO IDEA how much pumpkin I used

Instructions:

1. Cup up your vegetables. When you cut your pumpkin, remove the seeds, inner membrane mushy stuff, and outer skin, but save the seeds to bake yummy pumpkin seeds!

2. Heat 4 Tbsp butter in a large heavy saucepan. Add onion and fry for 2 minutes or until soft.

3. Add the pumpkin and carrot and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.

4. In a separate saucepan, warm your stock and keep it at the simmering point.

5. When the pumpkin is tender, mash the mixture slightly with a potato masher.

6. Add the rice to the vegetable mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

7. Add one ladle-full of stock to the vegetable mixture and stir evenly.

8. Continue stirring constantly for 25 minutes, adding one ladle-full of stock at a time. (You may not end up needing to use all of your stock, or you may run out and need to add water. I personally had about a cup and a half of stock left at the end.)

9. When the rice is tender and creamy, remove from heat. Add remaining 4 Tbsp butter, and nutmeg and black pepper as desired. Stir, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes.

10. Top with grated Parmesan and green onion to serve.

This is an amazing and wonderful seasonal dish! Roommate #2 actually told me that this is the best thing I've made so far. I of course am a huge fan of nutmeg, so I loved the nutmeg flavor of this, along with the pumpkin.

In case anyone is wondering, I used a pumpkin called a Sugar Pumpkin. It was wonderfully flavorful!

I'm living in a place now that has actual seasons, so it really feels like fall, and having a nice fall dish for dinner tonight felt really... nice. This meal was quite a bit a work; it was more effort than I typically am willing to put out on a school night, but it was definitely worthwhile. It was really warming and comforting on a chilly day like today.