Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
When the fall comes around, we love using classic seasonal flavors like pumpkin in Italian recipes. Risotto happens to be one of our favorite comforting meals and our Pumpkin Risotto Recipe is one of our family’s favorite recipes.
Now risotto may seem intimidating to make, but with our tips, you’ll find it’s a one-pot recipe that’s quite simple to prepare. We make our pumpkin risotto with store-bought puree that we stir into the Arborio rice to make it super creamy. Topped with salty and crispy prosciutto, it truly is a restaurant quality meal right at home.
The best part is how easily you can prep this creamy risotto in advance, turning it into a no-fuss dinner any night of the week. Whether you are looking to impress friends at a dinner party or make a comforting meal for your family, we promise it will be a hit.
Try serving it alongside our Chicken Cutlets or Italian Steak, they are the perfect proteins to pair.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Fall twist on a classic Italian risotto recipe. By using canned pumpkin puree, we are adding lots of creamy and rich flavor perfect for the colder weather months.
- Easy dinner recipe for a weeknight or entertaining. Our family loves this pumpkin risotto recipe on a busy weeknight since it only takes one pot. It’s also gourmet enough to serve at a weekend dinner party.
- Restaurant-quality meal right at home. Risotto may seem complicated to make, but we break down the steps to keep it simple and easy right at home. You’ll be amazed at how foolproof it is!
Jenn’s Tip: For a professional-quality risotto, stir gently and often—about every 30 seconds. Over-stirring can make the risotto mushy, but occasional stirring helps it cook evenly and release just enough starch for that signature creamy texture. The rice should stay slightly al dente in the center, just like perfectly cooked pasta.
Ingredients
- Arborio rice: The classic kind of rice used in Italian risotto. It’s a larger size in grain and becomes creamy in texture once cooked.
- Olive oil: Cooking oil for the rice.
- Butter: Adds nice rich flavor and fat to the recipe.
- Shallots: Infuses the risotto with sweet onion flavor.
- Dry white wine: Gives richness to the sauce.
- Vegetable broth: The cooking liquid for the rice that you will add in stages to cook it to the perfect consistency.
- Canned pumpkin purée: We use canned for ease to add nice rich fall flavor. You could also use sweet potato or butternut squash puree.
- Fresh thyme leaves: Adds a nice herbal note in every bite.
- Nutmeg: A warming spice that pairs nicely with the richness of the pumpkin.
- Maple syrup: Just a drop of maple syrup adds the caramel sweetness to round out the pumpkin flavors.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: Gives cheesy flavor in every bite.
- Prosciutto: We roast this until crisp to garnish. It adds a decadent meaty and salty flavor to finish off the creamy and rich risotto. Pancetta also works nicely too.
How to Make Pumpkin Risotto
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place prosciutto slices on a parchment-lined sheet and bake until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then break into pieces.
- In a wide skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallots with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until softened, 2–3 minutes.
- Add Arborio rice and stir for 2–3 minutes, until grains are coated, lightly sizzling, and edges turn translucent.
- Pour in the wine and simmer until mostly absorbed.
- Add warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring often (about every 30 seconds) and allowing the liquid to absorb before adding more. Maintain medium heat (gentle simmer). Continue until rice is about ⅔ cooked, 10–12 minutes.
- Stir in pumpkin purée, thyme, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Continue cooking with broth additions for an additional 12–15 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender with just a slight bite (approximately 22–25 minutes total).
- Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan, then taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper if needed.
- Spoon into bowls and top with crispy prosciutto pieces, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
Expert Tips
- Swap the pumpkin puree for squash or sweet potato. Canned pumpkin is an easy store-bought solution. You can also used canned sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree.
- Try using fresh pumpkin or squash instead. We recommend roasting fresh pumpkin or squash in cubes until caramelized and golden brown. This creates a deeper flavor. You can then serve it cubed on top of the rice or puree it until creamy to stir in too.
- Add the broth gradually. Warm broth is key to cooking the rice correctly. Always add it one ladle at a time and let it absorb completely before adding more. This keeps the rice cooking evenly and prevents it from becoming mushy.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Taste as you go, the rice should be tender with just a slight bite (al dente) similar to pasta. Generally this means about 22 to 25 minutes of cooking time.
Storage
Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We will admit that risotto is best served the day of since it can become very thick in the fridge.
When reheating our pumpkin risotto, add a splash of warm broth or water to help loosen the sauce. It’s best not to freeze any risotto since it will change the texture.
If you want to prepare the pumpkin risotto recipe in advance, you can stop after toasting the rice (Step 3) and set it aside for a couple of hours. When ready to finish, start again at the deglazing step. This trick is often used in restaurants.
FAQs
You don’t want to stir the risotto too much. Just stir gently after you add each ladle of stock and let the stock simmer and evaporate before adding more.
Yes, we love to roast the pumpkin in cubes until golden brown and caramelized. You can top the risotto with the roasted squash or puree it until smooth and stir it into the rice.
Arborio is the classic type of rice used in the Italian recipe. It’s a shorter grain and is best when cooked low and slow on the stovetop with the hot stock or water added gradually.
More Delicious Italian Recipes
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
- Easy Chicken Bolognese
- Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese
Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
Equipment
- Large wide skillet or sauté pan
- Small saucepan (to keep broth warm)
- Baking sheet (for prosciutto)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 medium shallots finely minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth kept warm
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves start with 1 tsp, add up to 2 for stronger herbal note
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt for shallots, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4-6 slices prosciutto crisped in oven
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place prosciutto slices on a parchment-lined sheet and bake until crisp, 8–10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then break into pieces.
- In a wide skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallots with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until softened, 2–3 minutes.
- Add Arborio rice and stir for 2–3 minutes, until grains are coated, lightly sizzling, and edges turn translucent.
- Pour in the wine and simmer until mostly absorbed.
- Add warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring often (about every 30 seconds) and allowing the liquid to absorb before adding more. Maintain medium heat (gentle simmer). Continue until rice is about ⅔ cooked, 10–12 minutes.
- Stir in pumpkin purée, thyme, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Continue cooking with broth additions for an additional 12–15 minutes, until the rice is creamy and tender with just a slight bite (approximately 22–25 minutes total).
- Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan, then taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper if needed.
- Spoon into bowls and top with crispy prosciutto pieces, then drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.
Notes
Storage:
Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. We will admit that risotto is best served the day of since it can become very thick in the fridge. When reheating our pumpkin risotto, add a splash of warm broth or water to help loosen the sauce. It’s best not to freeze any risotto since it will change the texture. If you want to prepare the pumpkin risotto recipe in advance, you can stop after toasting the rice (Step 3) and set it aside for a couple of hours. When ready to finish, start again at the deglazing step. This trick is often used in restaurants.Tips
- Swap the pumpkin puree for squash or sweet potato. Canned pumpkin is an easy store-bought solution. You can also used canned sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree.
- Try using fresh pumpkin or squash instead. We recommend roasting fresh pumpkin or squash in cubes until caramelized and golden brown. This creates a deeper flavor. You can then serve it cubed on top of the rice or puree it until creamy to stir in too.
- Add the broth gradually. Warm broth is key to cooking the rice correctly. Always add it one ladle at a time and let it absorb completely before adding more. This keeps the rice cooking evenly and prevents it from becoming mushy.
- Don’t overcook the rice. Taste as you go, the rice should be tender with just a slight bite (al dente) similar to pasta. Generally this means about 22 to 25 minutes of cooking time.
