Pumpkin Risotto

This delicious side dish combines sweet pumpkin puree with creamy risotto and Parmesan cheese. It is a restaurant-style comfort food you can whip up in about 35 minutes.

There is probably no better way to celebrate pumpkin season than to go through all the pumpkin recipes you’ve been bookmarking. This pumpkin risotto is definitely a great option for weekends and Thanksgiving.

And don’t worry, the risotto may sound like something crazy but once you see the steps, you will be pleasantly surprised by how simple and foolproof the recipe really is. If you’ve ever watched Hell’s Kitchen, I promise, that making risotto following my recipe is not that stressful.

Risotto is an amazing Northern Italian dish, that is a staple in every Italian restaurant across the globe. And the pumpkin risotto recipe is also very much Italian – it is called Risotto alla Zucca! Here is my take on the creamy classic.

Did you know you can even bake risotto to free up some time and make sides or protein? I will share both ways to make it.

Did I also mention it is a one-pot recipe?

Ingredients Notes

To make this gluten-free meal, we will only need 6 ingredients.

For exact measurements, check the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Risotto rice (Arborio rice, Vialone Nano, or Carnaroli rice will work). Risotto rice is a special kind of rice – short grain rice with high starch content. Arborio rice is a good starchy rice to make a bowl of pumpkin risotto that is creamy and satisfying. Carnaroli and Risotto rice have even more starch and add even more creamy texture. Regular rice like jasmine rice or any long-grain rice will not work in risotto recipes. Risotto rice is naturally gluten-free. Do not wash risotto rice, ever.
• Olive oil. You can as well melt butter to cook chopped onions, and garlic, and toast rice grains.
• Spring onions, chopped and Minced garlic for aromatics. If you love spicy food, you can add some red pepper flakes, but I keep the risotto simple and classy – not spicy. Instead of spring onions, you can also use shallots – they are super fragrant. As a last resort, you can use regular yellow or red onions.
• Pumpkin puree – canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is unsweetened but pumpkin itself brings some subtle sweetness to the dish. If you don’t have pumpkin puree but have some fresh pumpkin, you can use it too. Simply saute diced pumpkin until it breaks down or roast it in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Butter. Unsalted butter is better so we can control how salty the dish is. Butter and cheese are what make risotto creamy and flavorful. When we add pumpkin, it also brings so much creaminess! It is just a match made in heaven.
• Grated parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano.
• Hot water. In the risotto, you need to keep adding water to slowly cook down the rice. But you can easily substitute water with warmed broth (chicken stock or vegetable stock works too). Of course, you can just mix the water with some powdered stock bouillons too. Double-check the package instructions for your rice to make sure you will use the right amount of liquid.

Despite what you may think, you don’t need to use cream to make risotto creamy!

Kitchen Equipment

• Medium Saucepan. Yep, it is a one-pan meal! No messy kitchen and easy clean-up.
• Wooden spoon
• Instant Pot – if you want to cook it this way

How To Make Creamy Pumpkin Risotto

1: Toast The Risotto Rice

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to medium-low heat. 

Add the chopped spring onions and minced garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice to the pan and stir until the rice grains are coated in the oil. Toast rice for another 2-3 minutes, until the rice starts to turn translucent.

2: Cook The Risotto Rice

Add a ladleful of hot water to the rice and stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. But do not over-stir. Continue adding water, one ladleful at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice is perfectly cooked al dente. This should take about 20-25 minutes.

3: Add Pumpkin

Stir in the pumpkin puree and cook for 2-3 minutes, until heated through.

4: Add Butter And Parmesan Cheese

Remove from the heat and stir vigorously the butter and parmesan cheese in the dish until melted and creamy consistency. Do not over-stir.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Risotto

Serve the pumpkin risotto hot, garnished with additional parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of chopped spring onions or chopped parsley.

Risotto is an amazing standalone dish, but you can serve it with some protein, shrimps, and seafood are generally a good pairing. Chicken spinach is a great protein to use too.

You can also make light simple veggie sides like roasted green beans or green salad.

Of course, the wine pairs well with the risotto. Pinot Noir, Sauvignon, or Pinot Gris can be good options.

Storage

Risotto is best made and eaten fresh.

Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You can reheat risotto on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a bit of chicken broth or vegetable broth to thin it out.

I would not recommend freezing risotto.

You can toast the risotto rice ahead of time, as well as roast a few pumpkin slices.

Substitutions

• Butternut squash is the most obvious substitute for pumpkin in this recipe.
• You can use dry white wine to cook risotto. Classic risotto recipes often include white wine, chopped onion, and Parmesan – it is the base of it!
• A splash of vinegar or lemon juice adds a subtle acidity to risotto.

Pumpkin Risotto Recipe Variations

• Flavor add-ons you can stir in closer to the end of the cooking process to make risotto taste better: pine nuts, chopped sage leaves (both fresh sage and crispy sage are such classic risotto companions), toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas), bacon bits, toasted pecans, and even Kalamata olives. Roasted halved hazelnuts make a stunning topping.
• Add protein: bacon, chicken and turkey, Italian sausage, or any leaner meats work great in risotto. You can skip the meat and add some mushrooms to this recipe too.
• Baked risotto. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake cubed pumpkin with some salt. While the pumpkin bakes, on the stovetop melt the butter and cook onions and toast risotto rice. Stir in white wine and let the rice soak it in. Then add hot water or broth and cover the pot. Place the pot in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Mash roasted pumpkin and add it to the baked risotto. Served fresh, the dish tastes delicious.
• The vegan pumpkin risotto recipe would swap the cheese for nutritional yeast and replace dairy butter with vegan butter. Other than that, the recipe is vegetarian already!

Expert Tips To Make The Best Pumpkin Risotto

• Make sure the rice is al dente. If you over-cook it, it will become mushy and the creamy pumpkin risotto will be ruined.
• Brown butter is an amazing secret drizzle that can elevate the dish.

Troubleshooting & Questions

Why Is My Risotto Not Creamy?

Overstirring and overcooking rice make it mushy and not creamy. Cook the rice mixture evenly, and make sure to add some water or more broth, cheese, and butter.

Cream is not a risotto ingredient and it doesn’t really help make it creamier.

What Is The Secret Ingredient In Risotto?

Cooking risotto rice in white wine, and adding butter and Parmesan is what makes risotto taste so good. Aromatics and herbs are must-haves for fragrant delicious risotto too.

What Is The Trick To Risotto?

The risotto will be creamy because the risotto rice has a lot of starch. But you need to skip the rinsing to make sure you are not washing off all that beautiful starchy content. 

If you love this pumpkin side dish recipe, you’re going to love these other fall side dish recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Rice-Based Recipes

Butter Rice

Cheesy Broccoli Rice

Rice Pilaf with Orzo

Garlic Parmesan Risotto

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