Pumpkin risotto

5 from 12 votes

Pumpkin risotto is smooth, comforting and delicious. A fantastic autumnal meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: (approx)

Calories: 556kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

12 oz pumpkin (peeled & de-seeded weight), or red kuri/butternut/honeynut squash
1 onion (small/med)
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 ½ cups arborio rice
3 cups light stock (vegetable or chicken if you don't need it to be vegetarian)
¾ cup freshly grated parmesan lightly packed, approx
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch pepper
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar approx, to serve

Peel and de-seed the pumpkin/squash, if not already prepared. Cut into a relatively small dice. Peel and dice the onion and garlic.
Warm the oil and butter in a medium pan over a medium heat then add the onion. Cook for around 5 minutes until the onion softens, but make sure it doesn't brown (reduce heat or add a little more butter, if needed).
Add the garlic and pumpkin/squash and cook a few more minutes until it all softens (around another 5, but depends on the kind of squash/pumpkin and size of pieces). Often this works best by covering the pan with a lid to let the vegetables sweat. Mash the pumpkin/squash so that it's a rough puree.
Add the rice and cook for a minute or two then add enough stock to cover the rice. Keep adding a little more stock (around ½ to 1 cup at a time) as the previous amount is absorbed, stirring now and then so that it doesn't stick. Typically, it doesn't need stirred much to start but more towards the end.
Once the rice is cooked and the stock has been absorbed, stir through the parmesan, nutmeg and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve topped with a drizzle of aged balsamic and a few shaves of parmesan.

As mentioned above, I used red kabocha squash which worked very well. Red kuri, butternut or buttercup would be a great alternative, or pie pumpkin.