Pumpkin risotto with crispy ham

Servings: 4

Inspired by Matprat's recipe: https://www.matprat.no/oppskrifter/familien/risotto-med-gresskar/

Risotto is a delicious Italian dish, here with pumpkin for a cosy autumn feel. It’s also great as leftovers. Cooked rice shouldn’t sit at room temperature for long, so cool any leftovers quickly, ideally in small containers, and put them in the fridge as soon as you can.

Ingredients:

• 500g risotto rice (arborio rice, or regular porridge rice can also be used)
• 250g butternut squash, in small cubes
• 2 dl dry white wine
• 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 garlic cloves (or shop-bought garlic-infused oil)
• Approx. 8 dl low FODMAP broth
• 1-2 tablespoon of butter
• Chopped parsley
• 50g parmesan, grated
• A little chopped cured ham, parma ham or roasted pumpkin seeds to serve

Instructions:

1. Prepare the squash: Peel the squash and cut it into small cubes. Cook in a little oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until soft and golden brown. The bigger the pieces, the longer they need.

2. Fry cured ham or pumpkin seeds until crispy.

• Cured ham/bacon: Bake the ham or bacon in the oven at 180 degrees for approx. 5-10 min, until crispy. Cut into smaller pieces and set aside.
• Pumpkin seeds: Toss the pumpkin seeds in a little olive oil and salt, and roast them in the oven at 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crispy.

3. Make the risotto: In a medium pot, heat the broth until steaming. Reduce heat to low, cover, and keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cut the garlic cloves into large pieces and fry them in the oil until fragrant and starting to colour. Remove all the garlic pieces before you continue. The flavour stays in the oil, while the FODMAPs stay in the garlic. If you’re using shop-bought garlic-infused oil, simply heat it up.

5. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add white wine and let it cook while stirring, until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

6. Add about ¼ of the broth. Stir occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.

7. When most of the liquid has absorbed, add more broth. Continue until the rice is al dente, approx. 20 min (you may have some broth leftover).

8. Remove from the heat and stir in butter and parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

9. Serve with the squash on top and garnish with chopped parsley and either crispy ham or roasted pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Alternatives: To make the dish vegan, you can replace the parmesan with a vegan alternative, use olive oil instead of butter, and replace the cured ham with roasted pumpkin seeds.