I love risotto, but most risottos can be time consuming and a bit of a hassle to make.
However, I have been making oven risotto for years, and love it. It gives you the taste and creaminess of risotto, but it is so easy because the oven does the work for you.
Over the last couple of years I have adapted my basic oven risotto into a tomato and sausage version, and also a sweet potato and sausage version.
Last week I decided to try a pumpkin version of oven risotto and it was so good. The pumpkin gave it a really nice flavor and added an extra creaminess that we loved.
I made this with sausage because I served it as a main dish, but you could easily leave the sausage out and it would be perfect for a holiday side dish.
Pumpkin Risotto
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (I have used chicken broth and it works fine)
- 4 to 4 1/4 cups hot water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese ( the real stuff, not the stuff from the green can)
- 1 pound of sausage, browned
- 1 15 ounce can of pumpkin
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the wine and cook until it has completely evaporated, about 1 minute.
- Stir in 3 1/2 cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and add sausage and pumpkin.
- Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup water, if needed. Sometimes I do not have to add this extra water. The consistency of the risotto should be creamy, but not too thin.
- Add the butter and cheese.
- Serve immediately.
this looks fabulous! i’ll have to try your oven risotto- i always mess it up on the stove! and i love pumpkin so this will be great 🙂
Wow, this looks delicious. I would have made it tonight (Thursday) but we had the pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. What kind of sausage did you use? I bought sweet italian sausage for it. Thanks so much for sharing your delicious recipes.
@Zina, I actually just used a breakfast type sausage because I had a bunch of it in the freezer, but I think just about any type sausage would be good in this. I hope you enjoy it!
@Lynn, Thanks for responding Lynn. I made this the other night and everyone LOVED it. I even sent some over for a neighbor who had surgery and she LOVED it. My daughters have requested it to be put on our menu every week. Thanks so much for sharing all your recipes!
@Zina, I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
I tried your oven risotto technique with a risotto of sliced sauteed mushrooms and some leftover cream of mushroom soup and it was fantastic. I love how the risotto still stays creamy in the oven without all the stovetop stirring. Thanks for this great recipe and kitchen tip. Have a lovely Thanksgiving.
@Rachel @ The Crispy Cook, I am so glad that you enjoyed it! I love it because you can really vary the different kinds that you make. I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!