Recipe video above. You'll be amazed how creamy this risotto is - even though it's BAKED without constant stirring! And it tastes as magnificent as it looks! Note: you won't use all the brown butter, see notes for ways to use the leftovers.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Servings: 5- 6 people
Calories: 422cal
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Ingredients
3 tbsp / 50 gunsalted butter, divided
1 1/2cupsarborio rice(risotto rice) (Note 1)
1onion, diced
600 g / 20 oz pumpkin (weight after peeling and deseeding), diced into 1.7cm/2/3" cubes (about 4 heaped cups) (Note 2)
3garlic cloves, minced
1/4cupdry white wine(or water or broth)
3 1/2cupsvegetable or chicken stock/broth
2tbspsage leaves, roughly chopped(Note 3)
1/2cupparmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt & pepper
Crispy Sage & Brown Butter (optional)
50 g / 3 tbspbutter, salted
12 - 20sage leaves
To Garnish
Grated parmesan
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
Melt 1 tbsp / 20g butter in ovenproof pot (preferably with a lid) over medium high heat.
Add garlic and onion and cook until onion is translucent.
Add chopped sage and cook for 1 minute.
Add rice and stir so all the rice grains are coated with the butter and semi translucent.
Add white wine and cook until the the liquid evaporates - about 1 minute.
Add pumpkin and broth, stir. Let the liquid heat up but do not bring to simmer.
Put lid on (or cover tightly with foil) and place in oven for 25 minutes, until rice is just cooked (firm but not raw) - don't worry if there's excess liquid. If rice is still uncooked, return to oven for 5 minutes.
Add remaining butter and parmesan cheese.
Stir vigorously until the pumpkin turns into a puree and blends into the risotto. If it's too thick then add a splash of hot tap water. Should have a porridge like consistency so it sags a bit when served (see video), rather than staying in a tall, firm pile.
Spoon into serving bowls. Garnish with crispy sage, 1 or 2 teaspoons of brown butter and parmesan cheese. Devour immediately!
Crispy Sage:
Melt butter in a small pan over medium high heat. Once foaming, add sage leaves and stir gently.
Cook for 1 1/2 minutes or until crispy.
Immediately remove sage onto paper towel lined plate and pour butter into a heat proof jug (butter should be brown by now).
Notes
1. Risotto Rice - Risotto needs to be made with risotto rice (Arborio rice) because it’s extra starchy and this is what makes risotto beautifully creamy without the use of cream.2. Pumpkin - Use any fresh pumpkin (any type but not Jack-O-Latern carving ones) OR butternut squash (we call it butternut pumpkin in Australia).Fresh trumps canned in terms of flavour. However, this can be made with canned pumpkin- use 1.5 cans (even 1 can is enough), and stir it in when it comes out of the oven.3. Sage goes very well with pumpkin, but it is a very subtle flavour in this dish so don't worry if you don't have it. If you have parsley, thyme or oregano, these will be a good substitute.The crispy sage adds great texture and a "wow" factor. I usually only do this for company.4. GENERAL:
Salt - It is important to remember to season at the very end and not at the beginning as you never really know how strong the salt from the stock/broth is once absorbed into the rice.
Leftover Brown Butter - It's unlikely you'll use it all. But you can't use less otherwise it's too hard to crisp the sage leaves (I tried). Drizzle leftovers on almost any protein, pasta, omelettes, onto soups. Just a tiny drizzle adds an extra element of luxuriousness to anything!
Servings: Even though there is only 1 1/2 cups of rice, this makes a lot (because of the 3 cups of pumpkin). It will feed 4 hungry people or 6 normal servings.
Baking time - if you are using a heavy cast iron casserole pot with a lid, then the cook time should be 25 minutes because it retains heat so well. If you are using a lighter weight pot covered with foil, then it might take closer to 35 to 40 minutes.
Add protein: Turn this into a complete meal by adding chicken and spinach. Chop chicken, season with salt and pepper (add herbs if you want too). Add the chicken when the onion is translucent and cook until white (still raw inside). Then follow the directions of the recipe. When you stir the butter and parmesan into the cooked risotto, add the spinach as well - you can add as much spinach as you want, but 3 packed cups is ideal. The residual heat from the risotto will wilt it quickly. You may need to add a splash of water to loosen it up a bit.
Veganise it by omitting the parmesan (check the salt level by taste) and using vegetable rather than chicken stock.
5. Leftovers - Risotto doesn't keep well, it thickens. But leftovers make brilliant Arancini Rice Balls! Here's a baked one, here's a fried one.6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 1 tsp of brown butter, excludes parmesan garnish and crispy sage (because I don't know how to calculate nutrition for that).
Nutrition Facts
Baked Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
Amount Per Serving (361 g)
Calories 422Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 39mg13%
Sodium 858mg37%
Potassium 510mg15%
Carbohydrates 60g20%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 11020IU220%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 154mg15%
Iron 3.6mg20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Originally published 2014. Post completely rewritten, new photos, new recipe video. Recipe amended very slightly to add crispy sage leaves and tidy up directions.