RECIPES - Risotto with pumpkin and mascarpone cheese, pine nuts and black truffle "Pregiato"

I've to admit it, I'm a big fan of risotto, not because I'm from the north of Italy, but because I think it's an ingredient you can be very creative with, there are lots of cool and fine ingredients you can mix it in, just find the right balance and add a bit of crunchiness and you will always have a successful dish.

Ingredients for serving 4 people:

16gr black truffle "Pregiato"

For the vegetable stock

1.5 lt. of water
1 red onion
1 carrot
1 potato
1 courgette
2 celery stalks
1 small bunch of parsley
Coarse salt
5 black peppercorns

Wash all the vegetables and then peal carrots, onions, and potatoes.

Cut them in big pieces as well as courgette and celery, place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

Add the parsley, 3 pinch of salt and the black peppercorns.

Cover with a lid and let it stew at the moderate fire for about 45min.

Season more with salt if necessary and when done put through a fine sieve.

Keep it warm.

For the risotto

300g of Vialone Nano rice
¼ of Delica pumpkin
6gr black truffle "Pregiato"
50g of shallots
100gr of mascarpone cheese
100ml of dry white wine
60g of butter
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Remove the pumpkin skin and crush the pulp in a food processor.  

Heat a heavy-based pan and melt 30g of butter with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, then chop very thin the shallots and add it on, let it cook slowly for 4/5 minutes till they get soft and translucent.

Turn the heat to medium, add the crushed pumpkin and the rice, let it “toast” stirring continuously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes.

This part is very important because it keeps it from getting mushy. When well heated pour the wine and let it evaporate till almost all gone.

Add a few ladleful of stock, enough to cover the rice, and reduce the heat to medium.

Stir continuously, and add more stock if getting to dry but never too much to over cover it, just enough to keep it moist all the time.

When almost done, adjust of salt and pepper, add the remaining butter and the mascarpone for the “mantecatura”.

Grate the truffle in, take it off the heat and let it rest for a minute before serving.

For the presentation (one portion)

3gr pine nuts

Place a ladleful of risotto in the center a flat plate and then beat it from below to make it spread evenly.

Toss in the pine nuts and finely shave on top about 4gr of black truffle "Pregiato"

Wine pairing

Barbera d'Alba D.O.C.G. La Sconsolata - Cantina del glicine