WayneBites by Wayne Johnson's video: Pumpkin Risotto With Bacon And Parmesan Cheese WayneBite Video

It’s pumpkin season! Time for everything pumpkin, from cookies, to soup, to lattes, to risotto. And, that’s my contribution today, pumpkin risotto. This dish is rich and creamy with bacon and parmesan cheese. Most risotto recipes involve slowly adding chicken stock to the rice mixture to gradually fatten up the grains. I sort of do a shorthand version of this by letting the pot do all the work for about 20 minutes. It’s a great alternative and the results in a risotto that is the perfect balance of individual grains in a smooth and silky mixture. Bacon Pumpkin Risotto serves 4-6 Ingredients 1/2 lb Thick Cut Bacon (6 slices), chopped 1 lg Yellow Onion, finely diced 3/4 cu White Wine 1 cu Arborio Rice 4 cu Chicken Broth 1/3 cu Pumpkin Puree 1 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Pepper 1/2 cu Grated Parmesan Cheese 2 tbl Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped for garnish Additional Parmesan Cheese, for garnish Method Place the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Place bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until bacon starts to release its fat, about 2-3 minutes. Add onions and sauté the two together for about 7-8minutes until the onions are tender but the bacon hasn’t gotten too crispy. Add the the white wine and stir, scraping the bottom to deglaze the pan. Continue stirring until about half the liquid is gone, about 4-5 minutes Add the rice and stir into the onions and bacon. Sauté for about 3 minutes until mixture is dry and then add half of the simmering chicken stock. Stir the mixture until it comes to a boil, about 1 minute, then reduce it to a simmer. Add remaining broth and stir combine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir in pumpkin puree and parmesan cheese. Set the lid aside and stir uncovered until the mixture is creamy but you can still see individual grains of rice, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to individual serving bowls. Top with additional parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve hot.