Be it for an elegant dinner party or as a side for a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast, this easy pumpkin risotto with a hint of sage and lots of savory parmesan will be a perfect choice! 
October is right around the corner, and with it comes the pumpkin craze - in the US anyway! Most recipes I see floating around are for sweet treats, but have you ever tried savory pumpkin dishes?
Pumpkin is very versatile and is delicious in savory recipes. And one can't live solely on desserts, right?
At some point, even the biggest pumpkin spice fan will want to take a break... and then is when this easy pumpkin risotto comes into play!
Risotto is one of the first recipes I tried to master when I started cooking. I love it because it's quite impressive (try it on your guests and see the reactions!) but pretty simple.
I know risotto has a bad reputation and is known to be challenging and difficult to get right, but honestly, once you know and follow a few rules you will always have a delicious and creamy risotto.
This creamy easy pumpkin risotto is as good as the fancy dish they serve in restaurants - if not better!
For a perfect risotto every time, follow these 5 simple rules:
- Have all the ingredients ready when you begin.
- Never leave your risotto unattended. You can prep a few ingredients while it cooks, but it's not a good time to do a load of laundry or start a new episode on Netflix.
- Add stock one cup at a time, not the 4 cups all at once.
- Stir very often. You don't need to stir like a robot, but don't walk away.
- Serve your risotto straight away. If you have guests, for instance, prepare it at the last minute.
Have you ever made risotto before? Do you have any tips and tricks to share with us that could make this easy pumpkin risotto even more amazing? Leave a comment below! 🙂
If you tried this Easy Pumpkin Risotto, don’t forget to rate the recipe below and let me know how it went in the comments – I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more deliciousness and behind-the-scenes!
Easy Pumpkin Risotto
Be it for an elegant dinner party or as a side for a vegetarian Thanksgiving feast, this easy pumpkin risotto with a hint of sage and lots of savory parmesan will be a perfect choice!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tsp fresh sage leaves thinly chopped
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup pumpkin puree - store-bought or homemade (click to see the recipe)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
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In a large skillet, add olive oil and cook chopped onion with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes on medium-low heat.
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Add garlic and chopped sage, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant but not brown.
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Add rice and cook until translucent, stirring often about 1 minute. Don’t let it brown. Deglaze with wine and stir.
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Add ½ to 1 cup chicken stock and stir to incorporate. Cook until liquid is almost absorbed, stirring constantly. Repeat until there’s no stock left and rice is fully cooked (taste the rice to know when it's cooked).
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Stir in pumpkin puree and parmesan, and cook just enough to heat the pumpkin.
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Remove from heat and serve immediately. Garnish with more parmesan and sage (optional).
Recipe Notes
For a perfect risotto every time, follow these 5 simple rules:
- Have all the ingredients ready when you begin
- Never leave your risotto unattended
- Add stock one cup at a time
- Stir very often (don't walk away!)
- Serve your risotto straight away.
Patrizia
I know that for some unknown reason outside of Northern Italy everyone got told Arborio is the rice for risotto, but take it from an Italian born in the land of risotto and next time use Carnaroli instead. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
marie
Thanks for the tip Patrizia! I've never seen Carnaroli in stores before but will look for it! What's the difference between the two?
Patrizia
Carnaroli makes it easier to keep the right texture of the final risotto and it's creamier. Try it if you find it and let me know what you think!
marie
I will, thank you!!
Susan
I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin, but this recipe sounds very tasty. I'm not sure why people have problems making risotto - if you follow the instructions, it works. I will say that the risotto recipe I used to make never required all of the stock. So I kind of play it by ear when cooking it.
marie
You're right, it's the best way to cook it 🙂 Plus it depends a lot on how you like your risotto. Some people like it extra creamy (like me!), some a little bit less.
40A.
This risotto looks so creamy and is the perfect way to use up some pumpkin puree you might have as a leftover from all that fall baking! Love the sage - it's the perfect pairing!
Josephine B
Hi Marie, We don't have canned pumpkin in Australia and you have that homemade puree is included here, but I don't see where. Sorry, if I'm mistaken as your recipe looks wonderful.
Marie
Hi Josephine! I was living in Australia when I made this recipe and used homemade pumpkin puree. I added the link to the recipe, it got lost when I switched to a new recipe plugin, sorry about that! Hope you enjoy this risotto 🙂
Nina Schwartz
Just made this for dinner tonight for my family, just as instructed, & it was very tasty. I served this with a salad & 😋! I will make it again & would also love to follow Patrizia’s suggestion & use carnaroli rice, if I can find it. Thanks!
Marie
Very happy to hear Nina, thank you 🙂
Bethany Prausa
I can’t wait to try this ... looks like a fantastic recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Marie
My pleasure Bethany, hope you love it! Come back and tell me how it turned out 🙂
Celin
Thanks so much for the great recipe. My kids and I made it last night. We live in Australia so made the pumpkin puree too which was super easy. Will definitely make it again, couldn't believe how creamy it was without ant dairy!
Marie
Hi Celin! SO happy to hear you enjoyed it as much as I do! Greetings to Australia!