Pumpkin Risotto (with Mushrooms and Sage)

This is the best Pumpkin Risotto ever! Made with brown butter and sage in a smoky Porcini mushroom stock with spice and a little heat, it's an absolutely irresistible comfort food dish that's perfect for fall.

This Pumpkin Risotto recipe is hands down one of my favorites for the fall season.

The flavor combination is mind-blowing!

A vegetarian and gluten-free dish, it's made in a homemade stock of both earthy Porcini mushrooms and smoky chipotle chile peppers.

Imagine that blended with subtly sweet pumpkin. I'm pretty certain you will absolutely flip over it.

It takes some time, but part of the beauty of making risotto is the process.

Risotto fact: Risotto is not a variety of rice. It's a northern Italian rice dish, that simply refers to a method of cooking Arborio rice.

The Ingredients

• Arborio rice - Arborio rice is an Italian, very starchy, short grain rice that is most commonly used to make risotto. You should be able to find this in most grocery stores, and definitely in an Italian market.
• 100% pumpkin purée- The pumpkin purée offers a subtle sweet flavor that makes its way into every bite.
• Brown Sage Butter - Pumpkin with Sage is always a winning combination. The pine-like flavor of the sage with the sweetness from the pumpkin is incredible. And the nutty flavor from brown butter enhances it even more.
• Dried Porcini mushrooms - Porcini mushrooms are a bit "meaty" and that makes the pumpkin risotto especially hearty. They have an earthy-nutty flavor which is very warming, and compliments the flavor of the brown butter.
• dried chipotle peppers - These peppers are fully ripened red jalapeños that are smoked and dried. The smoky flavor of the chipotles adds to the warmth of the risotto and the touch of heat brings everything together.
• vegetable stock or broth - Try to buy one that is sodium free, or that has reduced sodium. This will help you better control the final flavor of the dish.
• extra virgin olive oil - I like this one.
• onion - Try to choose onions that are firm, heavy for their size and without bruises.
• ground cloves
• fresh sage - For garnish. The earthy, pine-like flavor of the sage with the sweetness from the pumpkin is incredible.
• salt - I cook with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives.
• black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.

Substitutions

• Pumpkin purée. You can substitute pumpkin purée with butternut squash purée.
• Brown Sage Butter. (The link is in the recipe card and above.) Part of the wonderful flavor of this dish comes from cooking the rice in the brown butter with sage. It's adds a delicious nutty, warm flavor. It only takes 15 minutes to make, but if you're pressed for time, use unsalted butter. (It will still be quite flavorful.)
• Dried Porcini Mushrooms. The dried porcinis can be substituted with dried Shiitake mushrooms or a mix of wild mushrooms.
• Vegetable stock or broth. If keeping it vegetarian isn't important for you, a good alternative is chicken stock.

Variations

Once you learn the technique for making risotto, the flavor possibilities will be endless.

• You can use almost any stock -- vegetable, chicken, meat, mushroom, fish.
• And likewise, you can make it with any ingredients you'd like to -- meat, poultry, fish, shell fish, root vegetables, summer and winter squash, any fresh and dry herbs.

Recipe Tips

• The heat from chipotles and their steeping liquid is mild. If you'd like to kick it up, do not discard the seeds.
• It's very helpful to make the Brown Sage Butter ahead of time. It can be made up to a month ahead. (Though for pumpkin risotto, I typically make it the day before.)
• Since this is a time consuming recipe, you can do the first step the day before --> hydrate the procini mushrooms and chipotle peppers. You can keep them in the pot with the water overnight, which will make the stock more intense.
• As noted above, the long you hydrate the peppers and mushrooms, the deeper the flavor of the stock will be.
• The recipe calls for "about" 4 cups stock or broth (in addition to the mushroom-chipotle stock). This amount will vary, depending on how high or low the heat is, the amount of stirring, the pan used, etc. So have more at the ready.
• The final product should be loose -- in other words, with enough liquid not absorbed, so that it isn't sticking together. It should "fall" slightly when you spoon it onto a plate.

How to Make It

- Make the Brown Sage Butter before you begin. Here's how to make it. (This can be done days ahead if desired.)

- Add the water into a small sauce pot and bring it to a boil. Add the dried chipotle chile peppers and dried Porcini mushrooms.

-Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, keep the pot covered and let the peppers steep for about 1 hour.

- Save the liquid in the pot, and use a slotted spoon to remove the peppers and mushrooms. Take off the stems of the peppers and then slice them in half lengthwise. Use the back of a small knife or a teaspoon and gently scrape out seeds and membranes.

- Now chop the peppers and mushrooms as finely as possible -- you should have about ½ cup. Set aside.

- Pour the mushroom/pepper liquid and the stock or broth into a large pot and turn the heat to low. Once it's warm, turn off the heat and keep it on the stove.

- Add half of the Brown Sage Butter to a large sauté pan (about 12 to 14-inch).

- Over low-medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Then add the cloves and cook until it's very aromatic, about 30 seconds.

- Pour in the rice and stir. Cook for about 1 minute, being sure that all of the grains are well coated with the butter and onion mixture.

- Mix in the finely chopped peppers and mushrooms, followed by about 1½ cups of the warmed stock mixture and the pumpkin purée. Keeping the heat at medium-low, gently simmer the rice.

- With near-constant stirring, continue to add about 1 cup of the liquid as each previous cup is absorbed. You know you're ready to add the next cup as soon as you use a spatula to make a "path" through the center of the rice, and no liquid seeps into it.

- As the rice absorbs more and more of the liquid, it will gradually become creamy. Keep adding the liquid until the rice is al dente. (This means "to the tooth." While the rice will be tender, there will still a bite to it.) When it's at this point, most, if not all, of the liquid will have been used.

- Add the remaining half of the Brown Sage Butter and mix just to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately with fresh sage leaves for garnish.

Serving Suggestions

Pumpkin Risotto can stand on its own as an entrée, but small portions also make for a great first course.

If you serve it as a first course, the below list of dishes are delicious ideas to follow it with:

• Apple-Bacon Roasted Chicken
• Pork Tenderloin with Coffee Rub
• Cumin Roasted Vegetables

While the risotto alone is all you need if you're serving it as a main course, if you'd like to add to it, here are a few other delicious ideas:

• Fried Lemon Caesar Salad
• Chicken Apple-Cranberry Salad
• No-Knead Asiago Bread

Can you make it Ahead?

Risotto is always at its best when it's served immediately after cooking. However, if you need a head start, you can cook it halfway a few hours ahead by adding half of the liquid, and then closer to serving, you can finish the process with the remaining liquid.

Other Savory Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Sage and Sausage
• Pumpkin Braised Short Ribs

This is a fall risotto recipe, not only because of the pumpkin and sage, but because the overall vibe. It's rich and creamy with earthy, nutty, smoky and subtly sweet flavors.

I hope you love this Pumpkin Risotto as much as I do -- because I love it a lot!