Creamy Baked Pumpkin Risotto

And to think that you can make this without standing over the hot stove, stirring constantly……. Believe it. You CAN make an amazing, creamy risotto in the oven!

ULTRA CREAMY, ULTRA EASY PUMPKIN RISOTTO

For pumpkin lovers, for risotto lovers, for good food lovers everywhere – this Pumpkin Risotto recipe is for you. If you’re new to the wonders of baked risotto, this will be a life changing recipe for you. It is truly creamy, it looks and tastes luxurious, and it doesn’t even have a drop of cream in it. And yet, rather than standing over a hot stove, stirring constantly for 20 minutes, it’s just plonked in the oven. Take it out, give it a few vigorous stirs – and this is what you get:

And it tastes even better than it looks!!!

HOW TO MAKE THIS BAKED PUMPKIN RISOTTO

You are going to be amazed how easy it is to make risotto in the oven. It starts on the stove like a normal risotto, with sautéed garlic and onion. We can’t skip this flavour base. Nor do we want to skip deglazing the pot with a touch of white wine (or broth or even water) and toasting the risotto lightly in the pot. From here, the recipe changes completely from a traditional risotto recipe. Add the liquids and pumpkin, give it a stir, cover, then bake in the oven for 25 minutes No stirring. Not even once. In fact, I forbid you to open that oven. If you do, you lose heat and you’ll disrupt the cooking process!

WATCH THE MAGIC HAPPEN

Open the lid, and you’ll be greeted with the sight of some seriously stodgy looking rice, about as far from a creamy risotto as can be. But have faith. This is where the magic happens. Give it a vigorous stir, watch as the soft cooked pumpkin disintegrates and transforms into a puree which creates the creamy pumpkin sauce for this risotto It tastes savoury yet sweet from the pumpkin. The rice is perfectly cooked – al dente, just the way I like. The risotto is creamy rather than stodgy and gluey. And we haven’t used a single drop of cream!

INGREDIENTS IN PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Astonishingly few ingredients in Pumpkin Risotto! The key ingredient to ensure you get right is the rice – see below for more information. Other than this, the other ingredients are actually fairly simple and adaptable. Don’t have wine? No problems, just use water or broth. Prefer olive oil rather than butter? Go ahead. Switch sage with other herbs, use canned or fresh pumpkin (yes really), use chicken or vegetable broth, or water + stock powder.

WHAT RICE TO USE FOR RISOTTO

Risotto needs to be made with risotto rice. It has a higher starch content which is what makes the creamy “sauce” without using cream. There’s a few varieties but the most common at supermarkets is Arborio which is what I use.

OPTIONAL CRISPY SAGE LEAVES & BROWN BUTTER

I’ve garnished this Pumpkin Risotto with crispy sage leaves because pumpkin and sage are great mates, and it provides great texture. The added bonus is that the butter used to crisp up the sage leaves turns into brown butter which is an incredible finish for any risotto. Just one or two teaspoons is all you need to elevate it to another level of luxuriousness. But… this is optional……(she says, unconvincingly) Let’s put it this way. It’s ok to skip it for an everyday meal. But it’s mandatory for company! – Nagi x

SUGGESTIONS: THINGS TO SERVE WITH PUMPKIN RISOTTO

Add chicken and spinach – see recipe notes Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken Breast or quick Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs Crispy Pan Fried Fish or Garlic Prawns/Shrimp – super quick and easy Meatloaf – instead of the usual mashed potatoes! Salmon Patties, Rissoles, Zucchini Fritters and similar Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders

MORE RISOTTO RECIPES!

Chicken and Mushroom Risotto One Pot Baked Risotto with Lemon Chicken Shrimp / Prawn Risotto Tomato Chorizo and Kale Risotto No-Stir Lemon & Herb Baked Risotto