Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Risotto

Good Morning!  I can’t believe the weekend is almost over!  They go so quickly and are never long enough.  I wanted to share with you a recipe I adapted from Giada De Laurentiis.  She is truly my cooking inspiration and I like to think of her as my coach/teacher.  Her recipes are always full of flavor and delicious!  If you enjoy the flavors of pumpkin and like risotto this dish is for you.  My husband wasn’t a huge fan, but I loved it!  Try it out and tell me what you think!

Enjoy!

XO,
Rachel Ashley

Ingredients
4 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth, plus extra for moistening, as needed
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek (white and pale green part), thinly sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
2/3 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon (generous) freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cup coarsely crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 6 ounces)

Recipe
Whisk together the broth and the pumpkin in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low to keep the pumpkin broth warm.

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to drain.

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until almost tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the thyme. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Cook until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes, adding additional warm broth by 1/4 cupfuls if risotto is dry. Mix in the Parmesan, the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat. Fold the goat cheese into the risotto, the heat from the risotto will melt the goat cheese, giving the risotto a creamy taste. Lastly you can either fold in the crumbled bacon or garnish the risotto with it and serve.