Creamy Pumpkin Risotto is bringing all the fall feels this season. This truly impressive dish is easier to make than you think. Canned pumpkin is the simple secret to this savory side. And our foolproof method for cooking risotto will have you wondering why you don’t make it every week!
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The thought of eating Thanksgiving dinner warms many a heart all year long – mine included. The thought of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, however, only warms very specific hearts.
First are those who go full potluck. The host does turkey, gravy, and maybe (MAYBE!) mashed potatoes. Everyone else is responsible for a side and a dessert, tops. Unless the turkey didn’t thaw all the way, no one’s fretting over this arrangement. Especially if you cheat and buy a pie!
Next, you’ve got control freaks who have long established the kitchen as a no-fly zone during the holidays. This means no kids running through, no one comes in to stick their fingers in anything, and you have a designated group of sous chefs whose company is tolerable and who know how to follow orders. YES, CHEF!
The final group are the rarest – the truly chill. People who enjoy the combination of cooking plus sweating plus being on your feet all day plus fractured socializing. They also tend to enjoy slooooooow day drinking.
If you don’t fall into one of those categories, I can understand why you’d scoff at me for suggesting you consider making any risotto recipe (much less one that’s not instant pot risotto) for Thanksgiving dinner. But there are several reasons savory pumpkin risotto needs to land on the table this holiday season.
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Risotto
Pumpkin risotto is the perfect showcase for just about every flex. Because – if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times – risotto isn’t actually that difficult to make!
Once you’ve learned how to cook risotto properly, it’s almost impossible to mess it up. (Feel free to do a practice batch in advance to boost your confidence. And also eat.)
While other versions call for roasting winter squash in advance, this risotto recipe requires no time or space in your oven. Conveniently, pumpkin risotto has a quick and easy hack that makes it far less labor intensive – canned pumpkin is perfect for this recipe.
But my favorite thing about this dish are all the extra fall feels it brings with every bite. The fact that it’s savory is an unexpected treat since so many orange dishes (whether root vegetable or squash) tend to have sweeter notes. The combination of mellow pumpkin and fragrant sage is super seasonal – which we love this time of year!
How to Make Pumpkin Risotto
Pumpkin Risotto is elevated fall comfort food. Adding canned pumpkin takes out the extra step of roasting winter squash so you can focus on the time and patience needed to get your rice tender. Risotto technique is precise, but simple, so follow the instructions to the letter for best results.
Before You Start, Our Best Tip: our recipe calls for adding the pumpkin puree first, right after the rice. Working the puree into the rice mixture is a bit arduous, but it pays big flavor dividends. Pumpkin puree is watery, and adding it right from the start allows some of the water content to cook off as it hits the pan. As the pumpkin continues cooking throughout the recipe, you’ll also achieve a richer, more concentrated flavor.
- Heat the broth. Pour the broth into a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Saute the shallots and garlic. In a large 12″ skillet, saute finely minced shallot in butter until soft; add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Toast the rice. Add the arborio rice; saute for 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted around the edges and very fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin. Add the pumpkin puree and work into the rice mixture until well combined.
- Add the white wine. Pour in the white wine and stir to combine. Simmer until the wine is completely absorbed.
- Add the broth. Pour half a cup of simmering broth into the rice mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all of the broth is absorbed and risotto is bubbling around the edges around edges.
- Taste for texture. Repeat this process, a half cup of broth at a time, until the rice is tender with a slight bite. This should take 15-20 minutes, and we suggest tasting for texture after adding roughly 3 cups of broth.
- Stir in parmesan and sage. Turn off the burner, then stir in the parmesan cheese and fresh sage.
- Serve. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, right away, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Do NOT rinse arborio rice before cooking. The starchy coating is necessary for achieving the final creamy texture.
- Simmering the broth is key to maintaining the temperature of the rice mixture. Adding cold or room temperature broth will cool down the rice and prolong cooking time. Heated broth is a must!
- Toast your rice! Saute with the onions and garlic until it turns chalky white, then slightly golden brown around the edges. It should become very aromatic, smelling slightly nutty.
- Patience is a virtue! Allow the rice to fully absorb the wine before adding any broth. Add broth gradually, about a standard-sized ladle’s worth on each pass – again, wait for the rice to fully absorb each addition of broth before adding more.
- The best way to tell if your pumpkin risotto is done is by taste. Risotto rice should be cooked “al dente,” meaning it’s tender, but still has a light bite. Start tasting for texture after you’ve added 3 cups of broth, and keep testing with each addition. You may not need all four cups of broth!
- For once, I’m going to tell you to mind your salt! Broth, butter, and parmesan cheese will all contribute salt to your pumpkin risotto. You may not need to add any salt at all – I only had to add an extra ¼ teaspoon once the risotto was fully cooked.
Serving Pumpkin Risotto
Introduce this creamy risotto with pumpkin and sage to your annual holiday spread this Thanksgiving. It’s the perfect savory pairing for beta-carotene-based dishes that lean to the sweeter side, like maple cinnamon sweet potatoes or honey roasted carrots.
To cozy up any old weeknight, pair pumpkin risotto with complementary proteins that don’t have competing flavor profiles, like oven roasted pork chops or rosemary chicken.
Storing and Reheating
While homemade risotto will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container, we recommend you eat leftovers within 2 days of making – that’s if there are any leftovers to begin with!
Revive pumpkin risotto by adding a tablespoon of broth per cup of cooked rice to keep that creamy consistency. Reheat for 2 minutes in the microwave, stirring halfway through.
Did you make this pumpkin risotto? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Pumpkin Risotto (Canned Pumpkin Puree)
Description
Ingredients
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped to ¼”
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice, do not rinse first
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- ground pepper, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Pour the broth into a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, adjusting the heat to maintain a steady simmer; see Note 1.
- Heat a 12” skillet over medium heat; add the oil and butter and heat until the butter melts, then foams. Add the shallot and toss to coat in the fat; sautee, stirring occasionally, until the shallot slightly softens, 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
- Add the rice and toss until well combined with the shallots and evenly coated with oil. Saute the rice for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until chalky white in appearance with slight browning around the edges; see Note 2.
- Add the pumpkin puree and use a rubber spatula or wood spoon to fully work the puree into the rice mixture.
- Pour in the white wine; simmer, stirring frequently, until the wine is completely absorbed and the skillet appears dry.
- Using a ladle, add half a cup of simmering broth to the rice. Stir once or twice, then continue stirring occasionally, until the broth is completely absorbed and the risotto starts to bubble around the edges again; see Note 3.
- Repeat this process, adding simmering broth to the rice a half cup at a time, until the rice is cooked to al dente – that is, tender on the outside with a slight bite on the inside. This process should take roughly 15-20 minutes, and we recommend that you start tasting for texture around the 3 cup mark. At that point, add the broth in quarter cup increments instead of ½ cup and taste frequently. Once the rice is al dente, it's ready and need no further liquid.
- Turn off the burner. Add the parmesan cheese in 2-3 tablespoon batches, stirring until the cheese melts completely before adding more.
- Stir in the fresh sage, then taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste, if needed; you may need no salt at all (we added just a quarter teaspoon). Garnish with more fresh sage, if desired, and serve right away. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. Always prepare stovetop risotto using warm broth. Cold broth will cool down the pan, both prolonging the cooking process and causing uneven cooking.
- Note 2. Toasting the rice is optional, but recommended – it creates richer flavor.
- Note 3. Adding the broth in increments creates the classic creamy texture that risotto is known for. This gradual process allows the grains of rice to rub against each other and release their starches.
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