Creamy Pumpkin Risotto

Creamy Pumpkin Risotto with a hint of sage, a delicious vegetarian recipe that is ready in about 30 minutes. Made with canned pumpkin and cooked to perfection, this risotto reminds me why Fall is my favourite season.

It's amazing how many recipes you can make with a tin of pureed pumpkin. Both sweet and savoury, from small bites to hearty main meals. I've never cooked so much with pumpkin like for the past few weeks, I've just fallen in love with it.

So, risotto! One fancy dish that is actually ridiculously easy to make at home, rather than spend a fortune in a restaurant for a portion. And you can add pretty much anything you like to it, from veggies to meat or seafood.

My previous Creamy Mushroom Risotto with Parmesan and Creamy Chicken Risotto with Peas are 2 recipes I just love.

If you happen to make too much risotto, and you still have some leftovers no one likes to have anymore, why not try some arancini? They are cooled risotto balls coated with flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried to perfection. My arancini were made with chopped butternut squash risotto, but this canned pumpkin risotto will make some nice arancini for sure.

Jump to:

• Ingredients needed to make pumpkin risotto
• Step-by-step photos and instructions
• Can I make the risotto with roasted pumpkin?
• Creamy Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients needed to make pumpkin risotto

• risotto rice - Arborio rice
• butter - I prefer salted, but unsalted also works
• onion - either yellow or red, or shallots
• garlic
• fresh sage - it's what brings heaps of flavour
• vegetable stock -broth
• grated parmesan
• canned pumpkin - roasted pumpkin
• salt and pepper - to taste

Step-by-step photos and instructions

As mentioned, sage is one beautiful herb that pairs really well with pumpkin. Fresh one is great, but dried can be used to if you don't have fresh sage. If you don't cook with sage that often, there is no need to buy it just for this recipe. Or if you do, you can freeze the sage and use it later.

• melt the butter, add the chopped sage, chopped onion and garlic, and fry on a low to medium heat until soft
• add the rice and give it a good stir for 1-2 minutes until the rice becomes translucent
• add one ladleful of vegetable stock (broth) at a time, stirring continuously until all the liquid has been used up

As boring as it might sound, the gradual addition of the stock makes the risotto creamy, so not to skip this step!!!

• add the canned pumpkin and parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with more parmesan. Skip the parmesan for a vegan version.

Can I make the risotto with roasted pumpkin?

Absolutely! Roasted pumpkin actually has a natural sweetness that is hard to beat, bringing more flavour to an already delicious risotto. You can either peel and cube the pumpkin and roast it until tender, and add it cubed to the risotto, or puree it once it's roasted.

Pureed pumpkin gives the risotto a lovely orange colour, but it's up to you how you like it. Pumpkin can be swapped for sweet potatoes, butternut squash or any other squash of your choice. Or a combination of any of these.

And you get one lovely meal that even fussy eaters will love, that's for sure. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, this is one Fall recipe that is healthy, delicious and super easy to make. Do give it a go!

If you’ve liked my CREAMY PUMPKIN RISOTTO or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.