Pumpkin Kale Risotto

Risotto is a favorite of mine. It sounds a bit daunting, but truth be told, it comes together pretty quickly and makes a beautiful one-pot meal! It's easy enough for a mid-week dinner, but certainly elevated enough for entertaining.

With the crisp Fall weather just around the corner, I thought I'd start reaching for some comforting seasonal veggies. Smooth pumpkin puree makes this risotto unctuous and creamy, while the fresh green baby kale packs a punch of color and brings a bit of texture to the risotto party.

For ease and convenience, I've opted to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken in the dish. Of course, you can roast your own chicken.

Pumpkin Kale Risotto

Ingredients

· 2 tbsp olive oil

· 2oz pancetta, cubed fine

· 1 small onion, chopped fine

· 4 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 ½ cup Arborio rice

· ½ tsp salt

· 1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced

· 4 cups chicken stock

· 1/3 cup dry white wine

· ½ cup pumpkin puree

· 1lb rotisserie chicken meat, pulled

· 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

· 2oz goat cheese

· 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

· 3 cups baby kale

· Pepper to taste

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium low heat in a deep skillet or dutch oven. Fry the pancetta until it begins to crisp. Add the onion and garlic and sautee until translucent. Add the rice and season with salt and thyme. Toast the rice until slightly brown.

In a separate sauce pot, bring the chicken stock to a slow simmer.

Deglaze the pan with white wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine has evaporated, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken stock a ½ cup at a time. Add more chicken stock once the previous half cup has absorbed into the rice. Stir rice periodically. Continue to add chicken stock until the rice is al dente. The risotto should be relatively loose in consistency – not gloppy – add chicken stock as necessary to thin the dish.

Stir in the pumpkin puree and roasted chicken and allow to heat through for about 2 minutes. Add the cheeses and allow the goat cheese to melt into the risotto. Fold in the parsley and kale. Allow the kale to wilt slightly. Season to taste with black pepper.

Serves 4

GF Friendly Gluten Free Friendly!