The choice of today runs around the ingredients we typically have at home. So, it is still okay to eat asparagus in October. Let’s proceed with a sweet flavor of pumpkin and a touch of spinach. Fresh Autumn air calls for fresh herbs. A warm risotto is a must.

Let’s start with the broth: cold water, natural salt, pumpkin skin, onion, leek leaves, parsley, a piece of potato, asparagus and a splash of rosemary and basil. Slow boil for half an hour, then filter and keep it hot.
Chop onion and add a bit of extra virgin olive oil to the pan. Cut pumpkin and cleaned asparagus, wash spinach, grate some parmesan cheese, chop all herbs (rosemary, parsley & basil), and prepare a slab of butter.

Cook onion and add rice and the pieces of pumpkin and toast everything for 2 minutes (with a pinch of salt), then add some alcoholic liquid (beer or white wine), to your creative touch. Let dry, then cover with the vegetable broth. After 8-10 minutes add the asparagus, then keep it covered with the broth boiling. When the rice is nearing completion, add the spinach and some stock. When the water has evaporated, the rice is ready (around 16-20 min).

Turn off the stove, add parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and butter (or olive oil) and mix until homogeneous. Then, add some hot broth to get it creamy, keeping to mix (gradually increasing speed), and serve it hot.

INGREDIENTS: half onion, ½ kg of rice, 1/2 pumpkin, 5 asparagus, 150 g of fresh spinach, 12 g of chopped herbs, 50 g of butter, 50 g of parmisan cheese, (for a good broth: celery, onion, carrot), 1/2 glass of beer, ex. virgin olive oil.

I suggest some country music of Yin & Yang philosophy such as ‘il giardino dei ciliegi’, ‘Stuck in the middle with you’,’Have you ever seen the rain’…

Enjoy,
Maurino, chef-dj