The nights are cooling down here in Canberra, and that makes my body crave warm, filling foods.

Today’s recipe is a delicious pumpkin and goats’ cheese risotto, adapted from a recipe from Delicious magazine circa 2006, and it’s perfect for Autumn meals. If you want to indulge your inner carnivore, a tip for adding some porky goodness is at the end…

Serves 6: 340 calories per serve

what you need

20g unsalted butter

1 large leek (white part only), finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

500g pumpkin, peeled, diced into 1cm pieces

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tbs chopped thyme leaves

100ml dry white wine

900ml chicken or vegetable stock

250g arborio rice

1/2 cup (60g) frozen peas

100g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled

6 slices pancetta (optional), to serve

what to do

Preheat oven to 180^oC. Place pumpkin in a non-stick baking tray, spray lightly with olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, bring stock to the boil in a pan. Reduce heat to very low and simmer.

While the stock is heating, melt butter in a deep frypan over low heat. Cook leek for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, half the zest and half the thyme, then stir to coat.

Add the rice and cook for 1-2 minutes to coat the grains. Add the wine and then the stock, 1 ladleful at a time, allowing each to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue, stirring constantly, until stock is absorbed and rice is cooked but firm to the bite. Season to taste.

Stir in peas, half the cheese and the roasted pumpkin. Serve topped with the remaining zest, thyme, cheese and rocket.

tip

This is yummy served with some crispy pancetta. Simply place pancetta under a hot grill until crispy and serve atop the risotto, either as a whole piece, or crumbled.

What’s your fave risotto?