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Sugar pumpkins filled with pumpkin risotto served on a black platter.

Pumpkin Risotto (gluten free)

Fill small sugar pumpkins or mini Jack-be-Little pumpkins with gluten free pumpkin risotto and serve on a black platter for a dramatic presentation.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Canadian
Keyword: pumpkin risotto
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cooking hollowed pumpkins: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Cinde Little

Ingredients

  • 5 small sugar pumpkins (about 10 oz each)
  • 4-5 cups unsalted, gluten free chicken stock**
  • 2 tablespoon butter (first amount)
  • ½ onion , finely chopped
  • ½ cup finely grated fresh pumpkin
  • cups Arborio rice
  • 2 tablespoon butter (second amount)
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • EXTRA – oil, salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Cut 1 pumpkin in half. Peel and grate ½ cup for risotto. The remainder of this pumpkin can be baked with the whole pumpkins or reserved for another use.
  • Cut tops off remaining 4 pumpkins, about 1-inch down from the stem. Remove seeds and string.
  • Rub pumpkins, including the top, with a bit of oil.
  • Generously salt and pepper the interior of each pumpkin.
  • Place empty pumpkins on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes until the flesh is soft.

RISOTTO

  • While pumpkins are cooking bring chicken stock to a simmer and leave on low heat.
  • In a sauté pan melt first 2 tablespoon butter.
  • Add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add grated pumpkin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • Add rice and stir well until rice grains are coated with butter.
  • Add first ½ cup hot stock and set a stopwatch* to start timing. Stir the mixture until the liquid is absorbed.
  • Adjust the heat to a low simmer so each addition of liquid is absorbed in 2-3 minutes.
  • Continue adding stock ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently.
  • Taste for doneness at 18 minutes. Continue adding stock until the rice is done and has a nice, creamy texture. Al dente the Italians would say.
  • Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoon butter and Parmesan cheese.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  • Spoon risotto into cooked pumpkins and add pumpkin lid. Reheat in oven if needed. Serve warm.

Notes

*I use a stopwatch setting to monitor the entire cooking time so the minutes continue counting up through the final tasting process. If it takes 30 or 35 minutes until it’s done I know I wasn’t paying close enough attention and adjusting the heat at the beginning of the process. Good luck!
**Using salted chicken stock may make the risotto overly salty. Get in the habit of tasting your food before you serve it.
Tiny Jack-Be-Little pumpkins are typically used as a decoration but they can also be filled with a smaller portion of risotto.