Pumpkin Pastina Risotto and Pear-Bacon Salad

I'm a fan of anything pasta. For me, it means quick. It means comfort. It means stick-to-your-ribs yummy.

I recently saw Michael Chiarello on television make a pastina risotto with butternut squash. I was mesmerized. Pasto cooked in the same way you would risotto. Brilliant.

The very next day I stumbled across Proud Italian Cook's post about the same thing. I could practically taste it after seeing her mouth-watering photos!

Someone was trying to tell me something. I needed no more reminders--I made my own version today.



Fragrant, creamy, delicious, perfectly paired with a crisp, sweet salad of green lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced pear and a light vinaigrette all topped with crumbled bacon.



Pumpkin Pastina Risotto

serves 8



1 cup hot water

1/2 cup (by volume) dried shitake mushrooms, chopped

4-5 cups chicken broth

1 15-ounce can unsweetened pureed pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 strips bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces acini de pepe pastina

several scrapes nutmeg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese



Pour hot water over dried mushrooms and cover; let sit for 15-30 minutes to rehydrate. Strain, reserving liquid, and set aside.



In a saucepan on the stove, combine mushroom water, chicken broth and pureed pumpkin. Set on a very low flame to keep warm. Season with salt and pepper; taste and adjust seasonings, if required. (You will need a total of 5 cups liquid.) Note: Sage would have been a lovely addition to the broth. Fried sage leaves would be a nice garnish.



In a large pot, cook bacon over low heat until crisp. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Keep 2 tablespoons drippings in the pan, discard the rest. Add butter to pan. Saute onion and drained mushrooms in bacon drippings until onion is transparent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute.



Stir in pastina and cook for just a few minutes to coat each pebble with the butter/oil mixture. Add broth mixture, a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed after each addition. When all has been absorbed and pastina is tender, stir in nutmeg and parmesan cheese.



Serve warm, topped with crumbled bacon and a drizzle of reduced--or, if you have it, aged--balsamic vinegar. I reduced 1/2 cup to just under 1/4 cup for mine.





Pear-Bacon Salad

serves 4



4 strips bacon, fried crispy, 1-1/2 tablespoons drippings reserved

your favorite lettuce (baby spinach would be outstanding here)

1 tomato, chopped

1 pear, sliced

1-1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper, to taste



Top lettuce with tomato and sliced pear. Combine bacon drippings and olive oil and set aside. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, salt and pepper. While whisking continually, pour oil blend in a thin stream to emulsify. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad and serve topped with crumbled bacon.