For pumpkin lovers, for risotto lovers, for food lovers everywhere – this pumpkin risotto recipe is for you. It's really creamy, looks and tastes luxurious, and it doesn't even contain a drop of cream. And instead of standing over a hot stove for 20 minutes and constantly stirring, it's simply popped into the oven. Take it out, give it a good stir a few times and you'll have a pumpkin risotto you'll lick your fingers over.
How to make this baked pumpkin risotto
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make risotto in the oven. It starts on the stove like a regular risotto, with sautéed garlic and onions. We can't leave out this flavor base. We also don't want to miss deglazing the pot with a dash of white wine (or stock or even water) and lightly toasting the risotto in the pot.
From here the recipe is completely different from a traditional pumpkin risotto. Add the liquids and squash, stir, cover the pot and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. No stirring. Not once. It is forbidden to open the oven. If you do that, you will lose heat and disrupt the cooking process!
Watch the magic
When you open the lid you'll see a hard-to-digest rice that's about as far from a creamy risotto as you can get, but you should have faith. This is where the magic happens. Stir vigorously and watch as the soft, cooked pumpkin breaks down and turns into a puree that creates the creamy pumpkin sauce for this risotto. It tastes savory yet sweet from the pumpkin. The rice is cooked perfectly – al dente. The risotto is creamy and not tough and sticky. And you didn't use a single drop of cream!
The most important ingredient for pumpkin risotto
Risotto must be prepared with risotto rice. It has a higher starch content, which creates the creamy “sauce” without using cream. There are a few varieties, but the most common in supermarkets is Arborio. Other than that, the other ingredients are pretty simple and adaptable. Don't have any wine? No problem, just use water or broth. Do you prefer olive oil to butter? Go ahead. Swap the sage for other herbs, use chicken or vegetable broth.
Optional crispy sage leaves & brown butter
Crispy sage leaves are used in this pumpkin risotto recipe because pumpkin and sage go well together and create a great texture. The added bonus is that the butter used to crunch the sage leaves turns into brown butter, which is an incredible finish to any risotto. A teaspoon or two of sage is enough for your pumpkinRisotto on anotherTo raise the level of abundance. But that is optional. Let's put it this way. You can leave it out for an everyday meal. But in company it is a must!
If you're craving something sweet with pumpkin,can be found herethe recipe for pumpkin tiramisu!
Recipe for baked creamy pumpkin risotto
Preparation: 15 Min.
Cook: 30 min. Total: 45 min.
portions: 5 – 6 people
Ingredients:
- 50g unsalted butter, divided
- 300 g Arborio-Reis
- 1 onion, diced
- 600g pumpkin (weight after peeling and deseeding), diced into 2cm cubes (approx. 4 heaping cups)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 70 ml white wine (or water or stock)
- 800 ml vegetable or chicken bouillon/broth
- 2 tablespoons sage leaves, coarsely chopped (Note 3)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Salt & Pepper
Ingredients for Crispy Sage & Brown Butter (optional)
- 50 g butter, salted
- 12 – 20 sage leaves
To garnish: Grated Parmesan (to taste)
Tip – Make the pumpkin risotto vegan: Omit the Parmesan and use coconut butter and vegetable broth.
Follow these steps to make the dish
- Preheat oven to 180 C
- Melt 20g butter in an ovenproof pot (preferably with a lid) over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is translucent.
- Add the chopped sage and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the rice and stir so that all the rice grains are coated in the butter and become semi-translucent.
- Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated - about 1 minute.
- Add pumpkin and broth and stir. Allow the liquid to get hot, but do not bring it to a simmer.
- Put the lid on (or cover tightly with foil) and place the rice in the oven for 25 minutes, until just cooked (firm but not raw) - don't worry if it overcooks contains liquid. If the rice is not yet cooked, put it in the oven for another 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese.
- Stir vigorously until the pumpkin turns into a puree and mixes with the risotto. If it's too thick, add a splash of hot tap water. The risotto should have a porridge-like consistency so that it sags a little when served and doesn't end up in a tall, tight pile.
Crispy Sage Preparation:
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once foaming, add the sage leaves and stir gently.
- Cook the leaves for 2 minutes or until crispy. Immediately remove the sage to a paper towel-lined plate and pour the butter into a heatproof jug (the butter should be brown by now).
Serve: Spoon the pumpkin risotto into serving bowls. Garnish with crispy sage, 1 or 2 teaspoons brown butter, and Parmesan cheese. Devour immediately!
You can find recipes for risotto with asparagusfind here!
