As the weather gets colder, it is ideal for us to nourish ourselves with warming cooked foods. All my life, cozy bowl meals such as pasta and oatmeal have been my ultimate comfort foods. It was only recently that I attempted to make risotto for the first time, and, with the first bite, knew that I had created the new comforting meal of my dreams.
I used to stray away from making risotto due to the fact that I thought that the cooking process would be long and complicated, but that could not be further from the truth! This recipe has a short list of ingredients, all of which are cooked in the same saucepan, and the entire process takes just over 30 minutes!
The pumpkin combines so well with the savory elements of this dish, adding a delicious fall flavor, and, of course, lots of nutritious vitamin A! Warm, creamy, and hearty like oatmeal, and savory, satisfying, and Italian-inspired like pasta, this risotto has every characteristic of the perfect comforting fall meal. I hope you try this out and enjoy!
Creamy Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice or short-grain brown rice*
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional**
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 2-4 tbsp nutritional yeast or parmesan
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the broth to a saucepan and heat to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat slightly to keep it warm.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and sauté shallots until fragrant.
- Add in the rice and sauté about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add in the wine and stir until absorbed.
- Add the broth, one cup at a time, stirring occasionally until the liquid is absorbed (if it starts to boil too rapidly, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer). Stir in the pumpkin, rosemary, and salt with the last cup of broth, and cook until creamy and the liquid is absorbed.
- Stir in nutritional yeast/parmesan, salt, and pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh rosemary, and serve.
