Pumpkin and Shiitake Mushroom Risotto 🎃🍄

Ingredients:

• 350 g of butternut squash (peeled and seeded)
• 200 g of shiitake mushrooms
• 1 onion (small/medium)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter (12 g)
• 300 g of arborio rice
• 800 ml of vegetable broth
• 60 ml of red wine
• 25g of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of pepper
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• 1 teaspoon of aged balsamic vinegar for serving

Slice the shiitake mushrooms. Mince 1 clove of garlic. In a frying pan, sauté the shiitake mushrooms and garlic until golden brown (5 minutes).

Peel and remove the seeds from the butternut squash. Cut into relatively small cubes. Peel and dice the onion and garlic into relatively small cubes.

Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion softens, but make sure it doesn't brown. Add the garlic and pumpkin and cook for a few more minutes until the onion softens (about 8 more minutes). Mash the pumpkin into a puree. Add the red wine and simmer over high heat until the alcohol evaporates. Add the rice and cook, adding a little broth as needed to cover the rice. Continue adding a little more broth, stirring occasionally.

Once the rice is cooked and the broth has been absorbed, add the shiitake mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of vinegar, some Parmesan shavings, and chopped cilantro.