Oven baked risotto with homemade pesto and roasted pumpkin

Oven baked risotto with homemade pesto and roasted pumpkin

Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serving size: 4 (main dish)
Difficulty: easy

note: you can keep the risotto and pumpkin in the oven together as it cooks at the same temperature and takes the same amount of time

Ingredients: Risotto

• 1 ½ cups arborio rice

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 5 1/2 cups hot water

• 2 vegetable stock cubes (I use Massel stock cubes)

• 1 medium brown onion, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon garlic, grated

• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2-3 tablespoons pesto (see recipe below)

  Baked pumpkin (see recipe below)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Risotto

1. Preheat oven 190 C (fan forced)

2. Heat the oil in an oven proof pan on a medium heat stove or Dutch oven

3. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until the onions turn translucent

4. Add rice and stir again for 1-2 minutes, until the rice is well coated with oil

5. Add 4 cups of hot water and the stock cubes, and cover the pan tightly with a lid or with foil

6. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice

7. Once removed from the oven, stir through parmesan, butter, 1 ½ cups hot water, and salt and pepper to taste

8. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of pesto

9. Top with baked pumpkin and serve immediately

Ingredients: Pesto

• 2 cups Basil leaves, washed

• 3 Garlic cloves

• 1/3 cup pine nuts

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• ½ cup parmesan cheese

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method: Pesto

1. Roast pine nuts on a medium heat till lightly toasted. Make sure they do not burn.  

2. Once toasted, cool slightly and then place in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth

3. Taste to adjust seasoning

note: go easy on the salt as the parmesan adds salt to the pesto already  

Ingredients: Baked Pumpkin

• 3 cups pumpkin, cut into 1-2 cm pieces

• 2 tablespoons oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Baked Pumpkin

1. Place the pumpkin pieces on a greased baking tray

2. Coat in oil, salt and pepper

3. Mix thoroughly and bake in the oven at 190 C (fan forced) for 30-35 minutes till roasted and golden at the edges.

note: You can keep the risotto and pumpkin together in the oven as it cooks at the same temperature and takes the same amount of time.