Risotto · Lombardia

Risotto alla Zucca with Amaretti | Authentic Italian

Name: Risotto alla Zucca with Amaretti | Authentic Italian
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 320 g Carnaroli rice; 600 g Mantuan pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled and diced; 1 small white onion, finely chopped; 1.2 litres hot vegetable or chicken broth; 80 ml dry white wine; 60 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed; 80 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated; 6 dry amaretti biscuits, coarsely crumbled; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Risotto alla Zucca is a quintessential northern Italian autumn dish, born in the kitchens of Lombardia and the Po Valley where pumpkins grow abundantly each October. The genius of this recipe lies in the contrast: sweet, silky roasted pumpkin meets the bitter almond crunch of amaretti cookies and the sharp saltiness of aged Parmigiano. No cream, no shortcuts — just the slow, meditative stirring that makes a proper risotto unforgettable.

15Prep (min)

25Cook (min)

40Total (min)

4Serves

MediumDifficulty

Risotto alla Zucca with Amaretti | Authentic Italian

Ingredients

320 g Carnaroli rice
600 g Mantuan pumpkin (or butternut squash), peeled and diced
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1.2 litres hot vegetable or chicken broth
80 ml dry white wine
60 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
80 g Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
6 dry amaretti biscuits, coarsely crumbled
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Warm the broth in a saucepan over low heat and keep it gently simmering throughout cooking — cold broth will shock the rice and ruin the texture.
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan (a high-sided skillet or rondeau) over medium heat. Add the diced pumpkin and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly caramelised at the edges. Remove roughly two-thirds of the pumpkin and blend or mash it to a smooth purée; set aside the remaining diced pieces for texture.
In the same pan, add 20 g of butter and the chopped onion. Sauté gently over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until soft and translucent — do not let it brown.
Add the Carnaroli rice and toast it for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the grains turn slightly translucent at the edges and smell faintly nutty.
Pour in the white wine and stir vigorously until fully absorbed.
Begin adding the hot broth one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for each addition to be absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 16–18 minutes until the rice is al dente — it should have a slight resistance at the very centre.
Stir in the pumpkin purée and the reserved diced pumpkin pieces. Remove the pan from the heat.
Mantecare: add the remaining cold butter and the grated Parmigiano all at once. Stir and fold energetically for 90 seconds until the risotto is glossy, creamy and flows slowly like a wave ('all'onda'). Adjust salt. Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with a generous pinch of crumbled amaretti and a crack of black pepper.

Tips from the kitchen

💡 Use Mantuan pumpkin (zucca mantovana) if you can find it — it is drier and sweeter than most varieties and won't make your risotto watery. If using butternut squash, pat the diced pieces dry with kitchen paper before cooking.

💡 Never wash Carnaroli rice before cooking: the surface starch is exactly what creates that creamy consistency during stirring. Rinsing removes it entirely.

💡 Add the amaretti at the very last moment, directly on the plated dish. If stirred in during cooking they dissolve and lose their essential crunch — that textural contrast is the soul of this recipe.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make Risotto alla Zucca without amaretti?

Yes, but you will lose the defining sweet-bitter contrast that makes this dish memorable. A good substitute is a small handful of toasted, roughly chopped hazelnuts, or a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds — both add crunch and complement the pumpkin without overwhelming it.

What is the best rice variety for this risotto?

Carnaroli is the gold standard: its high starch content and firm grain hold up to long stirring without turning mushy. Vialone Nano (traditional in Veneto) is an excellent alternative. Avoid Arborio for this recipe — it overcooks quickly and produces a gluier, less elegant result.

Can I prepare any part of this risotto in advance?

You can roast and purée the pumpkin up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it. However, risotto itself must be finished and served immediately — it does not reheat well. A restaurant trick is to par-cook the rice (roughly 3/4 of the way), spread it on a tray to cool, then finish it to order in 5–6 minutes with fresh hot broth.