Easy Creamy Pumpkin Risotto is the ultimate comforting and satisfying vegetarian main course perfect for a cozy night in or an elegant holiday gathering. This recipe masterfully blends the rich, sweet flavor of pumpkin with the luxurious texture of traditional Italian risotto. It's a hearty and delicious way to embrace the autumn season and is fantastic for fall and holiday side dishes.
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Why You'll Want to Make Easy Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
- Ultimate Comfort: The combination of savory broth, starchy Arborio rice, and sweet pumpkin puree creates a warm, velvety texture that is the definition of comfort food.
- Simple Elegance: While it tastes and looks sophisticated, the process is incredibly straightforward. It's the perfect dish to impress your dinner guests without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Naturally Vegetarian: Packed with flavor, this dish stands alone as a satisfying meatless meal. It's also easily adaptable to be vegan pumpkin risotto (see FAQ below!)
- The Perfect Holiday Side: Looking for a festive alternative to mashed potatoes? This risotto pairs beautifully with turkey, roasted chicken, or prime rib, making it an excellent choice for Thanksgiving or Christmas side dishes.
Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Steps to Make Easy Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
- Pour the low-sodium vegetable broth into a saucepan and heat over medium until it begins to simmer. Then, reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to use.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add one teaspoon of minced fresh sage and one-quarter teaspoon of freshly grated whole nutmeg, and stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the minced onion and Kosher salt. Cook, stirring often for about 6-8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the arborio rice and stir for about a minute until the rice begins to toast.
- Then, add the white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and ladle in about ¾ cup of the hot vegetable broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, allowing the rice to simmer gently. Once almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, repeat adding the broth in batches. Continue cooking until all of the broth has been added and the rice is tender and cooked through. The risotto should take 25 to 30 minutes to be thick and saucy.
- After all of the vegetable broth has been incorporated into the rice, add the 100% pure pumpkin, the remaining teaspoon of minced sage, cubed unsalted butter, and freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the Pumpkin Risotto is thick and creamy. Top with a few sage leaves and some shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve warm with a Caesar Salad and some crusty French bread.
Whether you're hosting a feast or settling in for a quiet evening, this Easy Creamy Pumpkin Risotto delivers rich, deep autumn flavor with a texture that defines culinary comfort. This simple yet sophisticated recipe is guaranteed to become a high-yield favorite and a highly requested holiday side dish for years to come. Enjoy every spoonful!
Frequently Asked Questions
You must use a short-grain, high-starch rice, like Arborio or Carnaroli. These rice varieties are crucial because they release the necessary starch when stirred, which is what makes risotto creamy without adding actual cream. Long-grain rice will not work.
The most common reasons are: 1) Cold Broth: Always use warm, simmering broth. 2) Not Enough Starch: You may not be stirring enough to release the starch from the Arborio rice. 3) Too Much Heat: If the heat is too high, the liquid evaporates too fast and the starch doesn't have time to incorporate.
Absolutely! This recipe is easy to convert to a dairy-free pumpkin risotto. Substitute the butter with high-quality olive oil or a plant-based butter alternative. For the cheese, use a high-quality vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast for a cheesy, savory flavor.
Yes, you can substitute the pumpkin puree with other winter squash purees like butternut squash or acorn squash. Ensure the puree is 100% squash and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains spices and sweeteners.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Warming Your Broth is Non-Negotiable: Always keep your vegetable broth simmering on a separate burner. Adding cold broth to hot rice will immediately drop the temperature of the pot, stopping the cooking process and preventing the rice from releasing its starches correctly.
- Stir, But Don't Over-Stir: Risotto requires frequent but gentle stirring. This friction encourages the Arborio rice grains to rub against each other, releasing the starch (which creates the creamy texture). Stir just until the liquid is absorbed, then add the next ladle. Don't stir constantly, or you'll cool the rice down.
- Taste Test for Texture (Al Dente): Begin tasting around the 18-minute mark. Risotto should be al dente-tender but still with a tiny bite or resistance in the center. Once it's perfect, stop adding liquid immediately.
- Finish Strong (The Mantecare Technique): Once the rice is al dente, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the final additions (butter, Pecorino Romano cheese, and pumpkin puree). This technique, known as mantecare, is the final, essential step to emulsifying the starches and fat, giving the risotto its signature, luxurious "wave" or flowing texture.
Other Great Side Dish Recipes
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Easy Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tbs Olive Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Whole Nutmeg grated1
- 2 teaspoon Fresh Sage minced and divided
- 1 small Onion minced
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 8 oz Arborio Rice
- 8 oz Dry White Wine
- 32 oz Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
- ½ c 100% Pure Pumpkin
- 2 tbs Unsalted Butter cubed
- 2 oz Pecorino Romano Cheese freshly grated
- Fresh Sage Leaves optional for garnish
- Shaved Parmesan Cheese optional for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the low-sodium vegetable broth into a saucepan and heat over medium until it begins to simmer. Then, reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to use.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add one teaspoon of minced fresh sage and the freshly grated whole nutmeg. Stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the minced onion and Kosher salt. Cook, stirring often for about 6-8 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the arborio rice and stir for about a minute until it begins to toast. Then, add the white wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and ladle in about ¾ cup of the hot vegetable broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, allowing the rice to simmer gently. Once almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, repeat adding the broth in batches. Continue cooking until all of the broth has been added and the rice is tender and cooked through. The risotto should take 25 to 30 minutes to be thick and saucy.
- After all of the vegetable broth has been incorporated into the rice, add the 100% pure pumpkin, the remaining teaspoon of minced sage, cubed unsalted butter, and freshly grated Pecorino Romanotirring occasionally, cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes until the Pumpkin Risotto is thick and creamy.
- Top with a few sage leaves and some shaved Parmesan cheese, serve warm.
- Yield 6 servings
Tips/Notes
- Use either a parmesan cheese grater or microplane to grate the whole nutmeg.
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