Pumpkin and spinach risotto

After making the spinach pie, we still had some silverbeet to eat. We often enjoy pumpkin and spinach risotto, so I used it to make this. I recommend this dish as a simple and easy dinner. We make many different risottos, sometimes just using whatever we have on hand. I will give you the basic risotto recipe and then the specific additions you would use to make pumpkin and spinach risotto.

Basic risotto ingredients: 
1 brown onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of alborio (short grained) rice, depending on how many people you want to feed!
3 1/2 cups simmering vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine (optional, add more stock if you don't want to use wine)
1/4 - 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
2 tbs fresh herbs

1. Fry onion and garlic in the olive oil.

2. Add rice and stir to coat it with oil. Continue stirring until rice becomes transparent.

3. Pour in wine (or 1/2 cup of stock) and allow it to bubble, stirring. When absorbed, add 1/4 of stock. Stir until absorbed. Gradually add the rest of the stock, a ladle full at a time. Stir and wait for it to absorb before adding more.

4. Once rice is al dente (tender but firm) add parmesan and herbs. Cover pan and stand for 5 minutes before serving. If you let it stand for longer, that is also fine.


Additions for pumpkin and spinach risotto:

3 cups chopped pumpkin - you can add this, chopped finely, with the rice at step two or (like we do) steam it and add it towards the end when you have a few ladlefulls of stock to go.

10 or so spinach or silverbeet leaves (you can use more or less to taste, but remember that it does cook down so what looks like a lot will look like much less in the finished risotto). Add silverbeet when you have a few ladlefulls of stock to go, or spinach with the last of the stock. Silverbeet takes a little longer to cook.

1/2 cup cashews (optional)

Oregano is a great fresh herb to use for this dish

Risotto can sound complicated when you read about it, but once you have made a few they are easy and you won't even need a recipe. Enjoy!!