Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Risotto, a delicious vegetarian Fall recipe that is ready in just 30 minutes. Half of the pumpkin is gently mashed into the rice for a creamy texture, while the remaining roasted pumpkin is stirred in towards the end for delicious bites of goodness. Add parmesan and fresh sage leaves and you get a comforting, heart-warming dinner to enjoy this harvest season.
It's amazing how many recipes you can make out of a roasted 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.
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 butternut squash risotto, bur you can definitely make it with this lovely roasted pumpkin risotto too.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- risotto rice - Arborio rice, but you can use any short-grain rice you have
- butter - I prefer salted, but unsalted also works, just add extra salt for flavour
- olive oil - optional, but I highly recommend the combo butter and oil
- onion - either yellow or red, or shallots
- garlic - for extra flavour
- fresh sage - it's what brings heaps of flavour
- vegetable stock -broth, if you don't particularly want a vegetarian dish, you can also use chicken stock
- grated parmesan - or any other hard cheese of your choice
- pumpkin - I used 2 wedges of roasted pumpkin, canned pumpkin can be used too, but that will change the colour of the risotto
- salt and pepper - to taste
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- heat up a large pan, add the butter and oil and allow the butter to melt
- 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
- cube the roasted pumpkin and add half of it to the rice, stirring well
- add one ladleful of 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 remaining pumpkin and parmesan, season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with more parmesan. Skip the parmesan for a vegan version.
Expert tips
Roasted pumpkin actually has a natural sweetness that is hard to beat, bringing more flavour to an already delicious risotto. But you can definitely use canned pumpkin puree too, you will just have a much darker colour for your risotto.
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!
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Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Risotto
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup risotto rice ( 225 g)
- 2 tablespoon butter (30 g)
- 2 tsbp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 5 leaves of fresh sage
- 4 cups vegetable stock (1 L, broth)
- 4 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 2 wedges roasted pumpkin, cubed (400 g, 2 cups)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and chop the onion and garlic.
- Heat up a large pan, add the butter and oil, and allow the butter to melt.
- Add the chopped onion, season it with a pinch of salt, and fry it until golden.
- Add the garlic and 3 sage leaves, and fry for 30 seconds to allow the flavours to come through.
- Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear, add the rice to the pan and give it a good stir for 1-2 minutes until the rice is translucent.
- Add half of the pumpkin, mixing well.
- Add one ladleful of broth at a time, continuing to stir until the broth is used up and the rice is creamy and tender, it should take about 20 minutes.
- Stir in half of the parmesan and roasted pumpkin, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot with more parmesan and garnish with the remaining sage.
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