Recipe #3 of Pumpkin Week has arrived!  Today I want to take a short break from the sweet stuff to share a savory meal with you.  I love risotto, so when I saw this recipe for a pumpkin risotto, I knew I must try it!  It is delicious!  Creamy pumpkin, the subtle flavor of nutmeg, savory sausage, and gooey cheese surround the star ingredient of risotto.  It’s really a wonderful fall meal.  Plus, adding pumpkin to more than just sweet stuff is fine by me. 🙂

A little heads up, this makes enough for about 6 and isn’t quite as good leftover (the risotto loses its bite), so keep that in mind. I ate some leftover the next day and then with the rest I made risotto balls.  Just form small balls out of your risotto, slather them with flour, dunk them in egg, and coat with bread crumbs then drop them into 350 degree oil and fry for a few minutes.  It was a great way to use the leftovers!!

Pumpkin Risotto with Sausage and Gruyere             Print Recipe Here

From: My Fancy Pantry
Serves 4-6 generously

Ingredients for Risotto

Sausage Ingredients

1 lb. pork sausage
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. fresh shredded fennel
2 small apples, shredded
1 large shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. apple cider (you can sub. water)

Sausage Directions

Combine oil, fennel, apple, shallot, and garlic in a large Dutch oven. Heat over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture becomes tender and fragrant. Now add in the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. Stir and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the sausage and stir. Continue cooking until the sausage is cooked. Now pour in the apple cider and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the cider has evaporated. Remove from heat and drain sausage in a colander. Set aside.

Risotto Directions

In a small saucepan, heat the stock to a simmer (be careful not to boil). Leave heat on low to keep stock warm.

In a heavy pan (you could reuse your Dutch oven), pour 1 tablespoon of oil in and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add in the shallot and garlic. Stir constantly. Keep cooking until the shallot is cooked through, tender, and semi-translucent, this will take 3-4 minutes. Stir in the butter and nutmeg. Add in the uncooked rice and continue stirring for one minute. Pour in 3 tablespoons of wine, scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Continue stirring until the wine is absorbed and pan starts to dry.

Ladle in approximately 1/2 cup of the warm stock and stir until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Continue process until you have used about 5 cups of stock. You want the risotto to be creamy but with a bite to it. This process can take around 20-30 minutes.

Turn off heat and add in the cheese, pumpkin puree, and sausage. Taste. If salt & pepper are needed, add them now. Continue stirring until the cheese is all melted. Remove from heat and garnish with sage. Enjoy!

You will need 1/4 cup shredded fennel and 2 small (or in my case, 1 large) apple shredded. Shred the bulb of the fennel.

Combine olive oil, shredded fennel, shredded apple, diced shallot, and minced garlic in a large dutch oven (or heavy pot) over medium-high heat.

Once the veggies and apple become tender, add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and cayenne. I like using freshly grated nutmeg when I’m cooking.

After cooking the spices for two minutes, add the sausage.

Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.

Add your apple cider or water now. Let simmer about 5 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated.

Drain the sausage and set aside.

Bring your stock to a simmer (I used chicken stock). Do not let it boil. Keep this going while you are cooking the risotto.

Add olive oil to your dutch oven (or heavy pan, just quick wipe out the one you used for the sausage). Once the oil is hot, add your diced shallots and garlic and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes.

Once the shallot and garlic are semi-translucent, add your butter and nutmeg.

Time for the Arborio. Try to not spill the Arborio all over the floor like I did. What. A. Mess!

Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute.

Now it’s time for the wine. This is the kind I used, it was $9.99 and I was pleased with it. You want to use something that tastes good on its own.  Btw, my hand looks reeaaally weird here.

Add three tablespoons of wine to deglaze. Keep stirring the rice until the wine is absorbed.

Add one ladle of stock (about 1/2 cup) and stir until it is nearly absorbed.

Nearly absorbed, time to add another ladle!

And this is the risotto making process. Add a little stock, let it cook, add a little stock, let it cook…

The risotto is ready when it the rice still has a little bite to it. This process can take 20-30 minutes. When the risotto is to your liking, turn off the heat and add your pumpkin.

Add your shredded cheeses (parm & gruyere).

Add your sausage and season with S&P as necessary.

Stir it up and it’s ready for consumption!!

Enjoy!

See you tomorrow for Day #4 of Pumpkin Week!