This super easy pumpkin and sage risotto is real comfort food and just perfect for this time of year when you want a bowl of creamy savoury goodness to curl up with.
Pumpkin And Sage Risotto
It’s October so I just had to get a pumpkin recipe in here as soon as possible. Would almost be rude not to. This super rich and creamy pumpkin risotto is true comfort food at it’s very best.
There is a sweetness to pumpkin that calls out for a herbal friend to counterballance and even things out. Sage is the perfect partner for pumpkin.
The earthy strength of sage is the perfect foil for that rich sweetness. So this pumpkin and sage combo is a winner.
What rice for risotto
In Italy Carnaroli rice is the rice of choice for risotto. But here Arborio rice is most often use. It’s a short-grain rice which has a high starch content meaning it absorbs less liquid than long grain varieties of rice.
This is what gives risotto that rich creraminess. Other Italian short grain rice varieties include Baldo, Nano and Vialone.
I know some folks swear by Basmati rice and use it in risotto but for me Arborio is the rice of choice for a nice texture and that all important softness and chew in a good risotto.
Ingredients for pumpkin risotto
pumpkin (of course!)
red bell pepper
onion and garlic
nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper
vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
dry white wine
butter and olive oil
parmesan cheese
How to make pumpkin and sage risotto
You want to start with your onion and saute that before adding the garlic then the peppers and that all-important pumpkin and chopped fresh sage.
Let these all soften and become meltingly tender in a mixture of oil and butter.
Add the rice and stir it well in to make sure every single grain is coated in the oil. Now add the wine (yes of course you’ve got some left!)
Start adding the stock a ladle at a time.
As you add stock to the risotto give it a stir and once the rice has soaked up that batch of stock add some more. while you are doing this feel free to sip casually on the wine that you’ve poured in readiness to add to the risotto.
When the risotto has just about come together stir in the wine (yes, of course you’ve got some left!) and most of the parmesan.
Your pumpkin and sage risotto is ready when the liquid is all absorbed and when you taste the risotto it is rich and creamy but the rice still has a little bit of bite to it.
Nobody wants a sloppy risotto!
Pro tips
Be careful when salting risotto. Parmesan cheese is quite salty in it’s own right. So taste the risotto before adding extra salt.
How to serve pumpkin risotto
Serve your pumpkin risotto sprinkled with more parmesan cheese and a good grating of freshly ground black pepper and a bit more fresh sage.
The extra parmesan cheese will melt lovingly into the already rich creaminess of the risotto and the black pepper with give that extra little kick of heat just enough to cut the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Alternatives
If you don’t happen to have a pumpkin to hand (why not, it’s October everyone has a pumpkin!) you can use butternut squash instead.
No fresh sage? Then use dried sage but go easy as it is a very strong herb. You use half the quantity of dried herbs as you would fresh herbs. This is because their flavour is far more concentrated by drying.
How long will this risotto keep?
If you do have leftovers (honestly I’d be amazed if you did, this pumpkin risotto is just so delicious I can never leave any) store the risotto in an airtight box in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Risotto will clump up a bit so all you need to do to revive it is to add a little more liquid as you are reheating it.
Make sure that the risotto is piping hot if you are reheating leftovers. Risotto doesn’t really freeze terribly well, so eat it up.
Using leftover risotto
Why not make Arancini with any leftover risotto. Arabcini are little balls of risotto rice that are rolled in breadcrumbs and deep fried in oil. They are a very trtaditional Italian treat and often served with drinks.
Check out my recipe for how to make arancini in my Fish and chorizo risotto and Arancini post.
How many does this pumpkin risotto serve
I’ve made my risotto for two people. Want more, then just double up on your ingredients, though go easy on that sage though. Remember what I said earlier about sage being a strong herb.
So there it is pumpkin and sage risotto. My first pumpkin recipe of the year. There will be more pumpkins coming your way this month.
Looking for more pumpkin recipes right now? Then check these out before you go;
Pumpkin and coconut soup with fresh basil
All you ever wanted to know about pumpkins plus using them for beauty basics and recipes too
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Pumpkin and sage risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 300 g pumpkin flesh peeled and chopped into 1.5cm pieces
- 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
- 4 fresh sage leaves chopped plus one to finish dish
- 200 g Arborio rice
- 250 ml dry white wine
- 500 ml hot vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 75 g parmesan cheese grated plus extra to finish off dish
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion for about 3 minutes then add garlic and the peppers and pumpkin plus most of the chopped sage, stir well and saute till the pumpkin and peppers have softened
- add the rice and stir to ensure that all grains are coated in the oil with the veggies and add the wine
- add stock a ladle at a time and stir, once that has been absorbed add more
- finally stir through the butter and most of the parmesan and add seasoning to taste. Go careful on the salt as parmesan is salty in its own right.
Could you substitute delicate or butternut squash for the pumpkin?
Hi Margo
Yes you can easily use any squash for this recipe instead of pumpkin.
K
I made this today, for dinner tonight. I bought a small “pie pumpkin”. It was amazing. This would be a great addition to Thanksgiving dinner.
Hi Margo
Thrilled you tried this risotto recipe and liked it so much.
K
That would be delicata squash…. sorry my iPad re-spells my words sometimes.
Hi Margo
Don’t you just hate predictive text sometimes!
K