Risotto With Pumpkin & Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the pumpkin and dice the flesh. Set aside.
2. Heat the broth over low heat; keep warm.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the diced pumpkin and continue to cook, stirring to coat the pumpkin with the oil, until it is hot, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and toast lightly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
4. Add enough of the broth to come 1/2 inch above the rice, and cook, stirring frequently to be sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. As the rice absorbs the broth, keep adding more, 1/2 cup at a time.
5. Once the rice has absorbed almost all the broth, and the grains are just tender (al dente), about 20 minutes total cooking time, remove the pot from the heat. Add the butter and cheese and stir vigorously until the risotto is creamy. (The pumpkin will start to fall apart; this is what should happen and gives the risotto a brilliant orange color and additional creaminess.) Season with salt and pepper if necessary and serve immediately on flat plates.
6. Top the risotto with a few leaves of sage fried in butter and a sprinkling of crumbled amaretti cookies, if using.