Risotto with pumpkin and Italian sausage (salsiccia)

Ingredients:

• 250gr arborio or carnaroli rice
• 1l meat or vegetable broth
• 400gr pumpkin (a small one)
• 200gr of Italian sausage (salsiccia)
• 1 big shallot
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 glass of white wine
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan

Steps

1. Peal and cut the pumpkin. For softening the skin you can cut one small pumpkin in 4 or more pieces and cook it in the oven or microwave. It will make the process easier. It has to be soft enough to get rid of the outside hard part easily. You can also cut and remove the skin of the pumpkin without the help from the oven and cook it after wit the sausage.
2. Cut the pumpkin into small cubes.
3.  Heat the meat/vegetable stock
4. Peal off the skins from the sausage
5. In a saucepan saute the onions in 2 tablespoons of oil
6. Crumble the sausage in the saucepan with your hands and cook for 5 mins
7. If you haven’t cooked the pumpkin in the oven or microwave, you can add it to the pan and cook it with the sausage for 10 mins. If the pumpkin is already cooked then just make sure is soft enought
8. Add the rice and toast for 2 mins stirring constantly to keep the rice from sticking to the pan
9. Add the wine and let it evaporate completely
10. Add the broth a ladle at a time until your rice is cooked. Make sure to cover the rice completely at each watering. This step requires around 20 mins. In the. middle of this step I add a teaspoon of salt
11. Remove the risotto from the heat when cooked, stir it with 2 tablespoons of butter, add pepper and let stand. If you want the risotto a bit more salty this is the right time to add more.
12. Serve in bowls garnishing the top with a sprinkle of parmesan

This is one of my favourite dishes. I prepare it during autumn/winter season almost every 2/3 weeks. Try it out and you will fall in love with pumpkins!