Pumpkin Risotto

This one comes from an old childhood friend, Megan, who has made a name for herself in the food and wine industry. It has been great to reconnect with her and even better knowing that in our grown up state, we share a love for cooking. I can trust that this dish is delicious and I can't wait to make it myself!

Pumpkin Risotto

4 thick cut slices of pancetta
pancetta and olive oil drippings
1 Vidalia onion (medium dice)
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
parmigiano rind
1 can of pumpkin
whole nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup parmigiano
extra parmigiano for shavings
8 whole sage leaves

• heat chicken stock and water (6 quarts total) with parmigiano rind until boiling, then drop down to a low boil.

• dice pancetta and render it until crispy. transfer to a paper towel and warm drippings over med heat with some olive oil (if necessary to coat the bottom of the pan) in a high-sided saute pan or dutch oven.

• add onion, season, and cook until translucent.

• add rice and stir to coat each grain with oil. cook until slightly toasted.

• start adding ladle-fulls of stock, stirring, and cooking down. season as you go along. about halfway through process, add pumpkin and nutmeg.

• you should use most of the stock and the entire process should take about 22 minutes once you've started cooking. keep tasting and reserve a good cup of the stock to stir in at the very end (risotto should be loose, not sticky and stodgy).

• fry whole sages leaves in olive oil, remove with tongs to a paper towel and salt them. save the sage-infused oil to pour over the risotto at the end.

• when rice is creamy and still al dente, but not crunchy, remove from heat and stir in butter and parmigiano and last cup of stock. transfer to serving bowl and top with pancetta, sage leaves, shavings of parmigiano, and sage oil.

Enjoy!