Creamy Pumpkin Risotto with Sage
- Savory
- Italian
- Creamy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Arborio rice simmered in white wine and vegetable stock until creamy, with sweet pumpkin and a finish of parmesan and crisp sage. A comforting one-pot Italian dinner.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Sweating · Absorption rice
Instructions
-
Peel the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and cut the flesh into 1.5 cm cubes. Finely chop the onion. Grate the parmesan.
~10 min
-
Warm the vegetable stock in a saucepan over low heat and keep it at a bare simmer.
~5 min
Hot stock added to the rice keeps the pot from cooling, so the grains cook evenly and release starch steadily.
-
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in the large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the pumpkin and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften and colour at the edges, about 8 minutes.
~14 min
Sweating the onion first builds a sweet base, and browning the pumpkin edges adds caramelized flavour before the liquid goes in.
Sweating Cook the onion gently over medium heat until translucent, not browned; a lower heat draws out sweetness without scorching.
-
Add the risotto rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are glossy and slightly translucent at the edges. Pour in the white wine and stir until it has almost fully evaporated, about 2 minutes.
~4 min
Toasting the rice seals the grains and the wine's acidity and alcohol evaporate, leaving flavour while the starch stays for creaminess.
Absorption rice Add hot stock a ladle at a time and stir often, waiting for each addition to be absorbed; the rice should stay tender with a slight bite, never soupy.
-
Add the hot vegetable stock one ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next. Continue for 18 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender with a slight bite and the mixture is creamy. Season with the salt and black pepper.
~20 min
Gradual stock and constant stirring rub starch off the grains, which thickens the liquid into a creamy sauce without cream.
Absorption rice Add hot stock a ladle at a time and stir often, waiting for each addition to be absorbed; the rice should stay tender with a slight bite, never soupy.
-
While step 5 cooks
While the rice finishes, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the small frying pan over medium heat. Fry the sage leaves for 30 to 45 seconds until crisp, then lift them out.
~2 min
Quick frying in hot oil drives out the sage's moisture so the leaves turn crisp and aromatic rather than bitter.
-
Take the pot off the heat, stir in the parmesan until melted, and let the risotto stand for 2 minutes so it settles and turns creamy. Scatter the crisp sage leaves on top and serve.
~2 min
Off-heat resting lets the starch and cheese set into a creamy emulsion, so the risotto thickens instead of turning gluey.
