Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto

This exquisite Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto is rich and creamy, and makes a delicious main dish or first course. The earthiness of the Shiitake mushrooms beautifully balances the flavors of the pumpkin purée, vegetable stock (or chicken stock), sautéed shallots, garlic, fresh sage, thyme, and white wine. To add even more depth of flavor, this dish is finished with fresh Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese.

To create this delectable and creamy risotto, the process of continually stirring the risotto is just as important as the ingredients, and it’s so worth it in the end. When you are craving some comfort food, this fall recipe for savory pumpkin risotto is one you will want to make again and again. To learn how to make this delicious pumpkin risotto recipe, see the printable recipe card below or take a look at the recipe video. For other recipe variations, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips below.

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RECIPE

(Printable recipe card below.)

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Appetizers, Main Dishes, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Entertaining

Italian, American

Servings: 6

Author: Prep My Recipe

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PUMPKIN & MUSHROOM RISOTTO

Prep Time: 15 MinBaking Time: 40 MinTotal Time: 55 Min

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Ingredients

• 10 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced (dried or fresh - see Note #1)
• ¼ cup shallot, minced (1 large)
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced ( 3-4 large)
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 6 cups organic chicken stock (or organic vegetable stock - see Note #2)
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups Aborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine (see Note #3)
• ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

Instructions

1. Prepare mushrooms (see directions for both fresh & dried mushrooms in Note #1), slice, and set them aside. Chop the shallot, garlic, thyme, sage, and parsley, and set each one aside.
2. In a large saucepan (5 quart), add chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and pumpkin purée. Whisk to combine. Stirring occasionally, bring to a simmer on medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, turn to low heat, and cover to keep warm. While pumpkin stock is coming to a simmer, sauté your veggies.
3. To a large stockpot (8 quart) on medium heat, add olive oil and butter, and stir together until melted. Add chopped shallot, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add sliced mushrooms, and sauté about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining salt and pepper, nutmeg, minced garlic, and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped sage and thyme, and stir until just combined. Promptly remove the mushrooms from the stockpot (leaving as much of the oil, butter, and sautéed shallots in the pan as possible), and set the mushrooms aside.
4. To the same stockpot on medium heat, quickly add the Arborio rice, stir together to coat the rice, and sauté about 2-3 minutes (to toast rice). Add wine, and stir until wine has cooked down and the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add 1 ladle (6-8 ounces) of hot pumpkin stock to the rice, and using a silicone spoon, stir continuously until the liquid has almost been fully absorbed by the rice. Repeat this process (1 ladle at a time), stirring constantly, making sure each ladleful has been absorbed before adding more pumpkin stock (it will get creamier towards the end). Continue until only 2 ladles of stock are left (this will take about 20-25 minutes). Add reserved sautéed mushrooms, stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute to warm through. Test for doneness (should be al dente). Repeat process with the last 2 ladles of stock (1 ladle at a time), until the rice is cooked through (slightly al dente, or to your liking - see Note #4).
5. Remove from heat, and quickly add Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley, and stir to combine. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Parmesan (optional), and enjoy!

Notes

1. You can use fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms for this recipe. If using fresh mushrooms, there is no need to rehydrate them. Just remove and discard the stems, slice the mushrooms into ¼ inch thick slices (cut into smaller pieces if needed), and set them aside. If using dried mushrooms, you’ll need to rehydrate them by covering and submerging them in about 2-3 cups of hot (boiled) filtered water. Then allow them to soak for about 15-20 minutes (or as directed on the package). Once rehydrated, drain, rinse, pat them dry with paper towels, remove and discard the stems, slice the mushrooms (¼ inch thick), and set aside. 
2. I have made this recipe a few times with either vegetable stock and chicken stock. Vegetable stock was shown in the recipe video, and is the obvious choice for vegetarians. However, I feel using a good quality chicken stock results in a richer flavored risotto. Whichever stock you choose, the recipe will be quite flavorful and delicious!
3. Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc wine work well in this risotto. Although wine can be optional in this recipe, I highly recommend using it as it adds more depth of flavor to the risotto.
4. After 20-25 minutes of cooking the rice, taste test for doneness after each ladle. If the rice is cooked through (but not mushy), and is not absorbing any more liquid, you may not need the last ladle of stock. At this stage, the risotto should be very creamy, but not liquidy. Keep in mind that when you add the Parmesan, it will become a bit drier, so the risotto needs to be very creamy. 
5. Makes 6 large servings (8 smaller first course servings). 

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

370.06

Fat (grams)

12.5 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

5.05 g

Carbs (grams)

48.3 g

Fiber (grams)

3.52 g

Net carbs

44.78 g

Sugar (grams)

3.75 g

Protein (grams)

13.04 g

Sodium (milligrams)

634.61 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

17.59 mg

Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.  Optional garnish (extra Parmesan) is not included in the nutritional calculations.

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SERVING SUGGESTIONS

SERVING

Serve immediately and piping hot. Enjoy!

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VIDEO

How to Make this Creamy Pumpkin & Mushroom Risotto!

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Blog Comments & Tips

An out-of-this-world risotto recipe!

I must admit that this Pumpkin and Mushroom Risotto is out-of-this-world tasty. It’s incredibly rich and creamy, and makes a delicious main dish or first course. This pumpkin risotto recipe has layers of flavor. The earthiness of the Shiitake mushrooms beautifully balances the flavors of the pumpkin purée, vegetable stock (or chicken stock), sautéed shallots, garlic, fresh sage, thyme, and white wine. To add even more depth of flavor, this dish is finished with Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley. 

Along with the process (which takes some time, a bit of patience, and a comfortable pair of shoes), this combination of ingredients produces the most delectable and creamy risotto. When you are craving some comfort food, this fall recipe for savory pumpkin risotto is one you will want to make again and again. 

I’ve been wanting to make pumpkin risotto for a while, and got inspired by a package of dried shiitake mushrooms. For my husband’s birthday, my step-son brought a birthday gift of unique, assorted foods, which included a package of dried shiitake mushrooms. My husband and I are both foodies, so this was the perfect gift for him (and I got to enjoy it as well!). After a couple of days of brainstorming about how to use them, I decided to add them to my pumpkin risotto recipe. The results were fantastic! The shiitake mushrooms added an earthy flavor and a meaty mouthfeel that made the dish extra satisfying.

How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?

My 5 tips to making the best Pumpkin & Mushroom Risotto:

1. Use organic ingredients when possible. The three key ingredients in this dish are Arborio rice (Lundberg Sustainable Arborio gourmet rice is a terrific choice), pumpkin purée (I like O Organics 100% pumpkin or Trader Joe’s organic pumpkin), and shiitake mushrooms. For best results, make sure you use quality brands. 

2. In this recipe, you can use either fresh shiitake mushrooms, or dried shiitake mushrooms. I actually prefer using dried mushrooms in this dish. In my opinion, they provide a slightly more intense mushroom flavor (probably because of the drying process). The benefit of dried mushrooms is they can be stored in your pantry for a long time, and it’s easy to rehydrate them. That way you don’t have to wait for mushroom season to make this recipe!  

3. Bring your pumpkin stock to a simmer, then cover and keep it piping hot on low heat throughout the process. This way, each ladle you add to the risotto is hot and will get more quickly absorbed by the Arborio rice.

4. Besides the key ingredients, the key to a successful risotto is continuously stirring the risotto and adding the hot pumpkin stock one ladle at a time. Each ladle of stock MUST be absorbed by the rice before adding more liquid. Each ladleful should be between 6-8 ounces of liquid (no more). Although it takes time and patience, you will be more than pleased with the results in the end. 

5. Do not overcook the rice, as no one likes mushy risotto! After the first 20 minutes of continuous stirring, start taste testing a few grains every 3-5 minutes. Taste testing will help you determine how close you are to finishing the risotto. Once it is al dente, you will likely only need to add two more ladles of stock to finish the risotto. Depending on how quickly the risotto cooks, you may not even use all the stock. As soon as it’s done, quickly remove it from the heat, add the parmesan, and serve immediately. 

It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe. 

Pimp My Recipe:

• Make it with Different Mushrooms: Can’t find (or don’t like) Shiitake mushrooms? Try porcini mushrooms, or a combination of cremini and porcini mushrooms for a slightly milder mushroom flavor. For a very mild mushroom flavored risotto, cremini mushrooms would be a good choice.

• Make it Vegetarian: Use organic vegetable stock and a vegetarian Parmesan, like BelGioioso vegetarian parmesan cheese. 

• Make it with Chicken Stock: If you are not vegetarian, I highly recommend using a good quality chicken stock. It adds tons of flavor! I prefer Simple Truth Organic® free range organic chicken stock, but I’ve also used Swanson 100% natural vegetable stock (as shown in the recipe video). 

• Make it Even Richer & Creamier: Just before serving, add a few dollops of fresh goat cheese, then sprinkle a bit more Parmesan. It adds a creaminess and a wonderfully tangy flavor. 

Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks. 

Happy Cooking!

Mich

Footnote: To avoid a sticky and mush risotto, remember to stir continuously, adding only one ladle of hot pumpkin stock at a time.

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Adapted from the Pumpkin Risotto recipe by the Pumpkin It Up! cookbook by Eliza Cross. I used Eliza’s straightforward recipe as a base, and changed up quite a few of the ingredients. I also made it a bit easier by eliminating the hassle of breaking down a fresh pumpkin and replaced it with a good quality pumpkin purée. The addition of shitake mushrooms, wine, fresh thyme and sage, also added so much flavor that I think you might even like my version of the recipe more!

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