Giada De Laurentiis’ Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Risotto
Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis’ risotto studded with crunchy bacon in a creamy pumpkin and goat cheese sauce is a simple, elegant, any-time dish.
Here’s how this easy Italian meal comes together.
Risotto is as popular as pasta, De Laurentiis says
In her cookbook Everyday Italian, the chef notes that while pasta may be enormously popular, “in Italy, risotto is just as popular. Like pasta, it’s something of a neutral canvas and can be flavored in many different ways. The key to a good risotto is the rice. Arborio, a short-grain variety, is my choice for a creamy, velvety risotto.”
She adds that there’s another secret to a spectacular serving of risotto and that’s “the gradual addition of the cooking liquid. Unlike many rice dishes, for risotto, you don’t combine a set amount of rice with a set amount of liquid and cook it all together.”
Risotto is all about stirring the liquid “in small increments, stirring all the while and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid.”
The chef’s pumpkin and goat cheese risotto is a silky Italian rice dish
De Laurentiis’ recipe calls for low-sodium chicken broth, canned pure pumpkin, chopped applewood smoked bacon, butter, thinly sliced leeks, chopped fresh thyme, Arborio rice, dry white wine, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, freshly grated nutmeg, and coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese.
“What you need to do to get [the arborio rice] really nice and creamy,” De Laurentiis says in the Food Network video for this recipe, “is you need to release the starches slowly. That’s why we have to sort of tend to the rice, and stir it, and add broth a little bit at a time.”
For this recipe, the chef heats the broth with a cup of the pumpkin puree in it, “to give a little bit of sweetness. … We’re going to let it warm and simmer together and then ladle it slowly into the risotto as it’s cooking.”
Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and cooked bacon top this risotto off for a flavorful Italian dish.
Get the full recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
Reviewers loved the balance of flavors in De Laurentiis’ pumpkin risotto
A perfect risotto dish for the fall, or any time you’re craving the flavor of pumpkin, the chef’s recipe is delicious and easy to prepare, as Food Network reviewers said.
“I’m constantly trying new risotto recipes because my husband loves risotto and I must say this is the best recipe so far. The mix of all the ingredients creates a very well-balanced and rich flavor. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the saltiness of the parmesan and bacon balance each other out. Delicious!,” one home cook wrote on Food Network’s site.
Another person added, “This is a great recipe. The pumpkin flavor was pretty subtle, so next time I may try the suggestion made by another reviewer, to add some spices that bring out the pumpkin. The bacon and goat cheese give the dish that extra ‘pop.’”
Lastly, one reviewer noted that each component in De Laurentiis’ recipe plays a perfect role in the dish: “This was my first time making risotto and it turned out awesome. The pumpkin was a subtle flavor and the bacon and goat cheese on top made this an addictive treat.”
