Quick info
- Servings: 2
- Total time: about 45 minutes
- Tools: microwave, baking sheet with parchment paper, immersion blender with a tall container, saucepan for the risotto, small pot for the broth, small pan for the tofu
Ingredients
- Carnaroli rice: 160g (5.6 oz)
- Delica pumpkin: 1 piece, about 350g (12.3 oz), skin and seeds on — a kabocha-type pumpkin; if you can’t find it, any dense winter squash like kabocha or butternut works (you’ll end up with roughly 180–200g (6.3–7.1 oz) of flesh after microwaving and cleaning it — no need to weigh it)
- Golden onion: 40g (1.4 oz), peeled
- Speck-flavored tofu: 1½ tablespoons of store-bought cubes (I use Vemondo speck-flavored tofu cubes)
- Vegetable broth: 1L (4.2 cups) (homemade: vegetable broth, or made with a stock cube or powder following the package instructions; for the no-fuss version, I’d go with the powder)
- Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons and 1½ teaspoons (1 tablespoon for the pumpkin, 2 tablespoons for the onion, 1½ teaspoons for the tofu)
- Butter: 20g (0.7 oz), vegan butter works too (5g/0.2 oz for the tofu, about 1 teaspoon; 15g/0.5 oz to finish the risotto)
- Rosemary: 1 sprig (about 4–5 cm/1.6–2 in long)
- Water: 2 tablespoons (for the onion)
- Salt: 1 scant teaspoon (for the pumpkin)
- Smoked paprika: about ⅛ teaspoon (a pinch)
- Ground black pepper: about ⅛ teaspoon (a pinch), for the tofu
- (Optional) Ground black pepper: 1 turn of the pepper mill per plate, at the end
Method
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Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F), static setting, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Microwave the pumpkin: put the roughly 350g (12.3 oz) piece of pumpkin, already cut and with the skin on, into a microwave-safe dish. Microwave for about 5 minutes, then check with a fork: the flesh should be soft enough to scoop out with a spoon. If it’s still firm, keep going in 1-minute bursts, checking each time.
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Clean the pumpkin: let it cool just enough to handle, then:
- remove the seeds and strings, and scoop the flesh away from the skin with a spoon;
- or, if the flesh is still firm but the skin cuts away easily, peel it off with a knife, resting the piece firmly on the cutting board and without forcing it.
Use all the flesh you get — no need to weigh it.
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Roast the pumpkin: spread the flesh on the baking sheet in similarly sized pieces, in a single layer, then season with 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 scant teaspoon of salt. Roast for about 15 minutes, checking as early as the 10-minute mark: as soon as the pumpkin is soft and starting to brown, take it out.
If it was already very soft after the microwave, the oven is mainly there to dry it out and brown it.
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Make the broth: while the pumpkin is in the oven, prepare 1L (4.2 cups) of vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Adjust the heat to keep it at a gentle simmer for the rest of the cooking.
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Prep the onion: finely mince the 40g (1.4 oz) of golden onion — the finer it is, the softer it’ll get and the better it’ll blend into the risotto. Put it in the saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil and the rosemary sprig.
Cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of water and keep going for about 5 minutes. The onion should turn soft and translucent, without browning.
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Blend the pumpkin: while the onion is softening, keep an eye on the pumpkin and take it out as soon as it’s ready. Blend all the flesh with about 1½ ladles of boiling broth, taken from the liter you prepared — no need to be precise. You’re aiming for a smooth purée.
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Toast the rice: once the onion is soft, remove the rosemary sprig and any loose needles. Let the water left at the bottom evaporate, then add the 160g (5.6 oz) of rice and toast it over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly and being careful not to burn the onion.
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Start cooking the rice: pour in about 1½ ladles of boiling broth. Once it comes back to a simmer, set a timer for the cooking time listed on the rice package and keep the heat at medium, adjusted so you get small, steady bubbles.
If the broth gets absorbed before the next 5 minutes are up, add a bit more — the bottom of the pan shouldn’t dry out completely.
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Add the pumpkin purée: after the first 5 minutes of cooking with the broth, add all the pumpkin purée and stir. If it stops simmering, briefly turn up the heat, then bring it back to medium as soon as it starts simmering again.
Keep adding boiling broth one ladle at a time, once the previous one is nearly absorbed. Stir often, scraping the bottom well: with the pumpkin purée in there, it tends to stick, but you don’t need to stir nonstop.
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Brown the tofu: with about 5 minutes left on the rice, put 1½ teaspoons of oil and 5g (0.2 oz) of butter in the small pan. As soon as the butter has melted, add the 1½ tablespoons of store-bought Vemondo speck-flavored tofu cubes and brown them over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, turning often and keeping an eye on the risotto.
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Season and finish the tofu: in the last 30 seconds, add about ⅛ teaspoon of smoked paprika and about ⅛ teaspoon of pepper to the tofu. Stir and take it off the heat once the cubes have the color you like: the edges can be dark, but not black. Taste a piece to check the flavor and crunch, then set it aside, uncovered.
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Check the rice: taste it about 2 minutes before the time listed on the package. It should be cooked, with a slight bite in the center but no hard core. If needed, keep cooking, adding more broth, and taste again after 1–2 minutes.
Check the salt too, keeping the saltiness of the tofu in mind: if it needs more, add a small pinch, stir and taste again.
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Finish the risotto off the heat: once the rice is ready, check the texture: it should be creamy and spread out slowly when you tilt the pan. If it’s too thick, add 2–3 tablespoons of boiling broth.
Turn off the heat, add the 15g (0.5 oz) of butter and stir vigorously for about 30 seconds until creamy. Let it rest for 1 minute.
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Plate up: divide the risotto between the two plates and top with the warm tofu and its seasoning. If you like, finish with 1 turn of the pepper mill per plate.
Comments & questions