Pumpkin Risotto

If you’ve managed to get hold of a sneak copy of our book Yummy Discoveries – The Baby-led Weaning Recipe Book you will know that we like to use up our leftovers from one recipe and transform it quickly in to another. We know what it's like to have lovingly created a dish only for one mouthful to be sampled before it's refused.   So, if you’ve carved out your pumpkin and wondering what to do with all that lovely flesh then read on. 

Pumpkin Risotto

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 onion (chopped)

2 tsp unsalted butter

500ml veg or chicken stock

2-4 cloves of garlic (crushed)

Handful of fresh sage leaves (chopped) or ½ tsp dried sage

150g Risotto Rice

250g Pumpkin

Tip: If you find the flesh is a bit tough to chop, pop the pumpkin in the microwave for a minute or two to soften

1

1. In a pan, melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion until soft
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin by cutting in quarters and scraping/scooping out the flesh. Keep the seeds to one side as these can be roasted
3. Add the garlic and sage and cook for a couple more minutes  
4. Add the risotto rice and stir until it is coated in the butter. 
5. Add the stock a little at a time, until the rice absorbs the liquid. Repeat until approximately half the stock has gone. 
6.  Add the pumpkin and a little more stock 
7.  Keep adding the stock until the pumpkin is soft and the rice has reached your required consistency

Image Copyright Yummy Discoveries Ltd

Tip: Younger babies may like their rice overcooked a bit so it’s soft and stodgy and clumps together – makes it easier for little hands to pick up

So..your little one sampled the risotto but didn’t polish it off. Don’t throw it in the bin, turn the leftovers in to Risotto Cakes for tomorrow! Click here for our Risotto Cakes Recipe

Tip:  Serving your little one a variety of foods is the secret to having a little one who eats a variety of foods. If your little one enjoyed this dish then try swapping the pumpkin for butternut squash or using chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. These small differences make the dish a new experience and will stimulate those developing tastebuds.