In the spirit of fall and all that is pumpkin, I present to you Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s Pumpkin Risotto. This woman is a rock star and her recipes are among my very favorite. Classic flavor made with simple, whole, plant-food ingredients.  Hope you enjoy!

PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Recipe by Chloe Coscarelli

Ingredients:

• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp. chopped fresh sage

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the broth to a gentle boil and let simmer while preparing the recipe.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté onions until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and let cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in rice and 1 cup of hot broth, and reduce heat so the mixture simmers. Stir often, cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat with another cup of broth and continue stirring, adding broth 1 cup at a time until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Stir in pumpkin, salt and nutmeg. Season with pepper.

A few notes (from Jentry):

• I only had sweet potato puree on hand, so I used that in place of pumpkin and it was de-lish!
• With the onion, I added sautéed diced Portobello mushrooms. A great last-minute decision, indeed.
• And, once all of the broth was added/absorbed, I poured in a splash of red wine and balsamic vinegar, and let it simmer for a few more minutes before serving.

Cheers to your health!

Coach Jentry