Rich and creamy pumpkin and mushroom risotto with fried sage and a pinch of nutmeg. It’s the perfect luxurious vegetarian meal!
I love all things pumpkin. I am the person who starts cooking and baking with pumpkin (and seeking out all things pumpkin at local restaurants and bakeries!) in September, and forces myself to wind things down sometime in January. So if this pumpkin and mushroom risotto recipe is the last pumpkin dish I make till next September, I definitely ended things on a glorious high note.
This risotto is, dare I say, the ultimate comfort food. If you’ve never made risotto, or never even tried risotto, this is the recipe to start with. It’s rich and creamy, and the squash and onions add a slight touch of sweetness. The garlic and fried sage create depth to balance the sweet pumpkin and onions, and the pinch of nutmeg round out the dish beautifully.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook for around 1 minute. Transfer sage to a paper towel to drain.
- In the same skillet, add onion and cook until softened, around 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in rice, salt, and pepper, and cook rice until it has become toasted and golden, around 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat and keep at a light simmer.
- Pour in 1 cup of warm pumpkin broth into the rice and simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock is absorbed.
- Continue simmering, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 15-20 minutes total.
- Remove from heat and stir in fried sage leaves. Cover to keep warm.
Recipe Tips For Success
A key part of making risotto is to keep stirring when incorporating the stock into the rice.
Keep your vegetable stock/pumpkin mixture at a low simmer. You always want to add warm liquid when making risotto.
Add 1/2 cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts to risotto before serving for a nutty crunch.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This risotto dish also freezes nicely: transfer risotto to a freezer-safe plastic bag and store in freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Enjoy your week, and feel free to drop me a line in the comments – I would love to hear if you try this recipe! Or tag me on Instagram @maryannehoekstra to let me know how it turned out! Also, if you are enjoying my blog, please consider recommending it to your friends. They can subscribe here.
More Vegetarian Recipes Ideas!
- One Pot Pasta with Tomato Mascarpone Sauce
- Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers
- Refried Black Bean and Queso Tacos
- Roasted Red Skin Potatoes with Chimichurri
- French Onion Grilled Cheese
Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3-5 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sage and cook for around 1 minute. Transfer sage to a paper towel to drain.
- In the same skillet, add onion and cook until softened, around 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Stir in rice, salt, and pepper, and cook rice until it has become toasted and golden, around 5 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, and nutmeg. Bring mixture to a simmer over moderate heat and keep at a light simmer.
- Pour in 1 cup of warm pumpkin broth into the rice and simmer, stirring constantly, until the stock is absorbed.
- Continue simmering, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 15-20 minutes total.
- Remove from heat and stir in fried sage leaves. Cover to keep warm.
