Western Massachusetts

Different Drummer’s Kitchen Co. Cooking School and Kitchen Store is a culinary dream come true. You can find just about any kitchen toy in the store and year round the Northampton location hosts cooking classes with menus ranging from regional cuisine to seasonal themes. Last year Different Drummer's hosted a Fall Risotto Workshop, for which Chef Barbara Morse featured a Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon and Sage. Follow her recipe below and fill your home with its soul-warming flavor and aroma.

While Different Drummer’s may not be featuring the pumpkin or hosting the risotto class this season, their fall schedule boasts an array of classes highlighting many other seasonal classics.

Roasted Sugar Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon and Sage 

1 sugar pumpkin (2 to 2 ½ lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
4 slices smoked bacon, cut into lardons or 1" pieces
¼ cup olive oil, plus 1 Tablespoon olive oil (divided)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablepoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ cups arborio rice
5 cups unsalted chicken stock (have ready in a saucepan, simmering gently)
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz mascarpone cheese at room temperature
4 oz grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place pumpkin in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. Set aside while you prepare the risotto.

Meanwhile, place one tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.

Wipe most of the bacon fat from the pan with a paper towel, reserving about a teaspoon.  

Place the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil into the pan in which you cooked the bacon.  Heat on low for  2 minutes. Add the rice and stir, allowing the rice to absorb the butter, oil and bacon flavor. Raise the heat to medium.

Add the white wine and stir, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Add a large ladle of the stock (about 1 cup) and again stir until the liquid is aborbed. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been used and absorbed between each addition. If the rice begins to boil, lower the heat. The risotto will become creamy. Continue to cook until al dente. 

Stir in the sage, thyme and then the roasted pumpkin. Smash some of the pumpkin with a fork to break it up a bit. Add in the bacon and stir in the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the mascarpone and blend well before stirring in the parmesan. Serve in pasta bowls or small plates and enjoy immediately. Garnish with extra sage leaves if you like. Serves 4 to 6.