Pumpkin risotto with the Thermomix, creamy without cream

The bright yellow-orange color and the creaminess come entirely from the pumpkin, no cream added: cooking it on reverse, part of it melts into the sauté and creates the sauce, while the rest of the cubes stay whole and give the dish texture.

I use the same in-the-bowl cooking technique for asparagus risotto with buttered tips: the vegetable changes, the method stays identical.

Which pumpkin to buy (it matters more than the recipe)

If this risotto has ever come out watery or pale for you, the problem was almost certainly the pumpkin, not the method.

• Delica: my favorite. Dark green skin, firm, dry, very sweet flesh. It's what gives the deep yellow color in the photo.
• Mantovana: ribbed, gray-green skin, just as dry and flavorful.
• To avoid: the large, watery pumpkins sold already sliced, often of generic varieties. They contain much more water, so the risotto turns out washed-out and you need to extend the cooking time.

A practical test when buying: a good pumpkin is heavy for its size. If it feels light, it's holding air and water.

Why you don't need the cream

It's the question I always get asked. A risotto's creaminess comes from three things, all already present here: the starch released by the rice during cooking, the pumpkin flesh breaking down to create the sauce, and finishing it with cold butter and Parmesan.

Cream adds fat and masks the pumpkin flavor instead of bringing it out. If it seems not creamy enough, before reaching for cream try loosening it with a ladle of boiling broth and stirring vigorously: you release more starch and the result improves.

The cube size isn't a minor detail

Cut everything to about 1 cm, as evenly as possible. You don't need restaurant-level precision, but you do need consistency: during cooking in the bowl, the smaller pieces and the edges break down to create the sauce, while the intact ones stay recognizable to the bite.

Cut everything large and you get rice with pumpkin chunks but no creaminess; cut it all fine and you get a pumpkin purée with rice in it, good but different.

Variations

• With sausage: crumbled and browned together with the shallot, the quintessential autumn pairing.
• With crispy speck: sautéed separately in a pan and added on top just before serving, for a contrast of textures.
• With crushed amaretti: the Mantua-style version, sweet-savory and surprising.
• With gorgonzola: 50 g stirred in at the end instead of half the Parmesan.
• Vegan: oil instead of butter and nutritional yeast instead of cheese.

Storage

Risotto should be served right after finishing. If you have leftovers, the next day it makes a great baked dish: spread it in a baking dish, cover with cheese and brown in the oven for 15 minutes.