Larder Love

The best preserving recipes plus easy cooking and baking too

  • ALL RECIPES
    • PRESERVES & LARDER
    • COOKING & BAKING
    • COLLECTIONS & CUISINES
  • TIPS & TRICKS
    • HOME HINTS
  • MY COOKBOOKS
  • ABOUT
    • CONTACT ME
    • PRIVACY
Home » Main Dishes » Super Easy Pumpkin And Sage Risotto

Super Easy Pumpkin And Sage Risotto

Author: Karon Grieve Published : October 2020

Recipe
pumpkin and sage risotto
pumpkin and sage risotto pin image

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 by larderlove.com

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 counterbalance 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.

ingredients in pan

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 creaminess. 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.

top down close up of bowl of 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

bowl in front of pumpkin

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.

close up of risotto in dish with fork

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 will 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 for this pumpkin risotto recipe.

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.

plate with cooking pan in background

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. Arancini are little balls of risotto rice that are rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried in oil. They are a very traditional 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.

risotto with pumpkin behind it

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.

larder links

Looking for more pumpkin recipes right now? Then check these out before you go;

Perfectly pickled pumpkin

Pumpkin and coconut soup with fresh basil

Pumpkin preserve/jam

Pumpkin and tomato soup

All you ever wanted to know about pumpkins plus using them for beauty basics and recipes too

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
pumpkin and sage risotto by larderlove.com

Pumpkin and sage risotto

Karon Grieve
Rich and creamy with the sweetness of pumpkin and depth of sage this is perfect comfort food.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2 people
Calories 760 kcal

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 pepper chopped
  • 4 sage leaves chopped but with one to finish off the dish
  • 200 g Arborio rice
  • 250 ml dry white wine
  • 500 ml vegetable stock hot stock vegetable or chicken
  • 75 g parmesan plus a little extra to finish off the dish
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste
Metric – US Customary

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.

Notes

You can use butternut squash if you don’t have pumpkin

Nutrition

Calories: 760kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 23gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1622mgPotassium: 902mgFiber: 5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 15471IUVitamin C: 93mgCalcium: 514mgIron: 6mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Autumn/Fall, Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes

« Easy Crab Apple Jelly With Scotch Whisky
Easy Traditional Porridge And The Ultimate Guide To Porridge + video »

Comments

  1. Margo D says

    October 7, 2020 at 9:35 pm

    Could you substitute delicate or butternut squash for the pumpkin?

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 8, 2020 at 10:43 am

      Hi Margo
      Yes you can easily use any squash for this recipe instead of pumpkin.
      K

      Reply
      • Margo D says

        October 8, 2020 at 10:33 pm

        5 stars
        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.

        Reply
        • Karon Grieve says

          October 9, 2020 at 11:16 am

          Hi Margo
          Thrilled you tried this risotto recipe and liked it so much.
          K

          Reply
  2. Margo D says

    October 7, 2020 at 9:36 pm

    That would be delicata squash…. sorry my iPad re-spells my words sometimes.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 8, 2020 at 10:43 am

      Hi Margo
      Don’t you just hate predictive text sometimes!
      K

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Karon Grieve

SEARCH MY SITE

Follow Larder Love

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Trending Now

elderflower jelly
wild garlic salt
homemade dandelion liqueur
gentlemans relish on toast with jar behind
rich and creamy mushroom soup
quick and easy simple scones recipe by larderlove

Summer Recipes

raspberry jam
chocolate scones on plate
dandelion and walnut pesto
smoked salmon muffins
chicken fajita traybake
red pepper chutney in jar with sandwich
blackcurrant jelly with coffee
nasturtium caper in jar

See more Summer recipes...

BUY MY BOOKS

Karon Grieve books
my foodgawker gallery

Follow Larder Love

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Privacy Policy & Disclaimers

 

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright Karon Grieve - Larder Love © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

  • 64

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.