Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage and Bacon
This pumpkin risotto is the savory pumpkin recipe you never knew you needed. With tender arborio rice in a creamy pumpkin sauce infused with crispy sage, savory bacon and a just a hint of fall spice, it’s the perfect way to embrace those classic autumn flavors.
Why you’ll love this pumpkin risotto
Ever since I made my first pumpkin pasta recipe, I’ve been all about the savory pumpkin. There’s just something so unexpected about using pumpkin in this way that makes it so satisfying to me, and this pumpkin risotto takes it to a new level with the crispy sage and bacon adding extra layers of flavor.
You don’t really need cheese. The nice thing about risotto variations is that you can incorporate so many different flavors into the dish that you don’t even miss the cheese, but even with my basic vegan risotto, a few simple ingredients make all the difference.
Searching for more dairy free pumpkin recipes? pumpkin beer cheese soup / dairy free pumpkin pie / tomato and pumpkin pasta / soft pumpkin cookies
If you like this risotto recipe, you have to try this chicken and chorizo risotto, and this literally perfect, vegan risotto. You would probably also love this Italian sausage risotto or this zucchini risotto – which is perfect for using up your late summer/fall zucchini harvest.
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Bacon – I’d recommend using thick-cut bacon, it will add a substantial, crispy bite that contrasts nicely with the creamy risotto.
- Arborio rice – Arborio rice is essential for making classic risotto, but if you can’t find Arborio rice, other short-grain or medium-grain rice could substitute in a pinch. If you swap it, you may find that you need to adjust the liquid ratio a bit.
- Chicken stock – You can use chicken broth or vegetable stock, but I prefer chicken stock because it’s made with bones which adds more intense flavor to the liquid.
- White wine – Go for a dry white wine for your risotto, as sweet wines can mess with the flavor balance. Dry wines add the right amount of acidity without extra sweetness. I recommend a sauvignon blanc or chardonnay.
- Pumpkin purée – You can use canned pumpkin puree or make your own by roasting and blending fresh pumpkin. Just be sure it’s pure pumpkin without added spices or sweeteners, so you get the right flavor for your risotto.
- Nutritional yeast – This is a dairy free substitute for parmesan cheese, but a little goes a long way. If you can’t find it, you can use double the amount of vegan parmesan.
Melissa’s tips for making risotto:
- Take it slow. Risotto isn’t actually that hard. It just takes time. Make sure to wait until all the liquid in the pan has been absorbed before you add your next addition of broth.
- Just keep stirring. This is where the magic happens because as you stir, you release the starches from the rice and that creates a creamy sauce without dairy. Plus, all that stirring prevents your rice from sticking to the pan.
- Use warm stock. This helps the stock incorporate into the rice faster and speeds up the time between each addition. I’ve tried this several ways, but I find the easiest solution for this is to microwave the stock for a minute or two to take it over room temp. You can also keep your stock in a saucepan over low heat while you’re cooking.
Frequently asked questions
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound thick cut bacon sliced into lardons
- 8 – 10 leaves fresh sage
- 1 small onion diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon vinegar used red wine, but any would work
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1/4 cup pine nuts optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon strips and cook, stirring as needed, until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan leaving the grease. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside for later.
- Crisp the sage. Add sage leaves and fry until crispy, about 1 minutes. Remove from pan and reserve for later with the bacon.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the rice. Stir in rice and allow it to toast and absorb the excess bacon grease.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in white wine and all the rice to absorb it, deglazing the pan as needed.
- Simmer. Continue to cook the rice by adding 1/2 cup increments of chicken stock and stirring between each addition, until fully absorbed.
- Toast the nuts. While the risotto cooks, crumble the cooled sage for garnish and toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the pumpkin. Stir in pumpkin, vinegar, nutritional yeast and water. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the rice is tender.
- Finish the dish. Stir in nutmeg and cinnamon, and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper to taste. Then, stir in about 3/4 of the cooked bacon.
- Garnish. Garnish with the remaining bacon, crumbled sage and pine nuts.
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