Oxford SlowFoodStudent

Serves 2 (or 4 if used as a starter):

300g pumpkin (or other squash), peeled and diced small (I do around 0.5cm cubes).
1 small white onion
175g arborio rice
approx 700ml good vegetable stock. (the stock is important it's where most of the flavour comes from in a risotto)
a glug of white wine (optional)
2 rashers of the good bacon (either smoked or not)
1 tsp dried (or fresh) rosemary
about 25g of Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan), grated

Method:

Peel the pumpkin and deseed (keep the seeds if you wish to toast them later). Heat the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Dice the onion and fry in a wide frying pan with a little olive oil until softened. Then add the rice and stir to prevent it sticking. Fry until the grains are translucent with a little white bit in the middle. Then, if you've got some white wine, pour in a glug (about 50ml), wait until the alcohol has evaporated and then add a little stock and the rosemary. Stir. Stir some more. Allow the stock to absorb into the rice before adding more. This should help the rice becoming too sticky as the shell of the rice doesn't break up. After about 200ml of stock has been absorbed. Add the pumpkin and a little more stock. Keep adding stock and stirring until the pumpkin is cooked and the rice is al dente. Meanwhile, put a frying pan on high heat or heat a grill. Cook the bacon fast so its browns nicely. If it's good bacon you won't get any water coming out of it as it cook, it should just brown. Cut into strips.

Once the rice is cooked. Add the cheese and stir, adjust salt (most of the salt will probably come from the stock) and add pepper. Serve with the bacon on top of the rice and provide additional cheese.

Now let's face it, pumpkins are generally big. You'll probably have some left so make a soup to freeze or keep for the next days lunch.