Roasting brings out pumpkin’s sweetness and gives it golden edges that make this risotto especially inviting. Some of the tender pumpkin is mashed into the rice for color and body; the rest is folded in near the end. Fresh sage, butter, and Parmesan round out a savory dish that needs little more than a crisp salad and a place at the table.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups peeled, seeded cooking pumpkin, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 1½ pounds prepared pumpkin)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus hot water if needed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice, not rinsed
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup freshly and finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
METHOD:
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the pumpkin with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a light seasoning of salt and pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25–35 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges. Mash about half with a fork and leave the remaining pieces intact.
While the pumpkin roasts, bring the broth to a gentle simmer in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to keep it hot.
In a wide, heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in the sage and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the rice and cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the wine and stir until almost completely absorbed.
Add about ¾ cup hot broth. Maintain a gentle, steady simmer, stirring frequently. When most of the liquid is absorbed but the rice is still moist, add another ½–¾ cup broth. Continue adding broth in this way, keeping the rice from drying out or sticking.
After the rice has cooked in broth for about 10 minutes, stir in the mashed roasted pumpkin. Continue adding broth and stirring until the rice is tender with a slight firmness at its center, usually 18–25 minutes total after the first broth addition. Fold in the reserved pumpkin cubes during the last few minutes so they heat through. Use only as much broth as needed; if it runs out before the rice is tender, continue with hot water.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan. Add a little more hot broth or water until the risotto is loose and creamy—it should spread gently when spooned into a shallow bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Serve as a main course with a crisp green salad, or offer smaller portions alongside roast chicken or pork.
YIELD: 4 main-course or 6 side-dish servings
COOK’S NOTES:
- Choose a cooking pumpkin with dense flesh, such as a sugar pie pumpkin. Kabocha or butternut squash also works well. Buy a piece large enough to yield the specified amount after peeling and seeding.
- Do not rinse the rice; its surface starch helps create the creamy texture.
- To omit the wine, substitute ½ cup additional broth. Taste the finished risotto and add a small squeeze of lemon juice if it needs brightness.
- The pumpkin can be roasted a day ahead, refrigerated, and gently reheated before adding it. Cook the rice shortly before serving for the best texture.
