Creamy Pumpkin Risotto Recipe with Balsamic Vinegar: A Fall Favorite

Indulge in the cozy flavors of fall with this creamy pumpkin risotto recipe, enhanced with gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. Perfect for chilly evenings, it's a hearty meal that's fun to enjoy with friends!

There is something very cozy about the first weekend dinners in the fall. The energy of the summer has faded, and life starts falling into the welcome cadence of school, kids’ birthdays on weekends, soccer matches.

This season gives us a chance to use our oven more often, and in doing so, put more hardy meals on the table. It's a time to take out rich, savory cheeses and pair them with the mostarda made from summer fruits.

A staple vegetable of our fall menus is of course “zucca”, or pumpkin. Roasted with just a coat of olive oil, salt, and pepper, it provides a simple and fast way to lay the groundwork for many delicious recipes. Whether is pumpkin tortelloni, risotto, a pasta sauce, a side to a quiche, or the base for a pie – even the largest of pumpkins will hardly survive in our kitchen beyond 48 hours without making several guest appearances.

Last week was the first one where the cold started setting in: the kids had been outside the whole day, and we spontaneously decided to invite over some friends. Luckily, we had baked already a large pumpkin the day before, and we were in the mood for risotto. To give it a few twists, we decided to add creamy gorgonzola and of course our own twist, i.e., balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients for Creamy Pumpkin Risotto (Serves 4)

• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed open
• 30 ounces vegetable broth (you can make it fresh or use pre-made one)
• 10 ounces risotto rice (we tend to use carnaroli)
• 2 lbs raw pumpkin (we almost always use Hokkaido, and leave the skin on)
• 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 ounce Balsamic vinegar – riserva or invecchiato ideally, for that nice creamy flavor and consistency
• ¼ lbs butter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 glass white wine (and 1 more for you to sip on while stirring the risotto)
• 3.5 oz sweet gorgonzola, chopped in ½ inch cubes

Instructions:

Step 1: bake the pumpkin (we do this in batches and then store in the fridge, ready to be used in a variety of recipes)

• Cut in quarters and scoop out the seeds with a spoon
• Cut into 2” chunks, coat with olive oil and salt
• Lay on a lined baking tray and cook for approx. 30 min (until tender) at 360F
• Let it cool down

Step 2: Prepare the risotto

• Bring the vegetable stock to simmer
• In a food processor, blend the pumpkin (including the skin if using Hokkaido): it should result in a thick but creamy consistency. If it is too coarse, add a little water – set aside
• Peel and dice the onion and the carrot
• In a wide, flat-bottomed pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil, then sauté the onion, carrot, and crushed garlic until the onion becomes translucent. Remove the garlic.
• Add the rice to the pan and let it toast (without burning) for a few minutes
• Add the white wine to the rice, let it evaporate
• Lower the heat to medium and gradually start adding the stock to the rice – keep adding liquid as it gets absorbed by the rice and stir frequently. This step will likely take 20-30 min for the rice to be “al dente”
• After about 15-20 minutes, add the pumpkin puree
• Once the rice is al dente, add the butter and the parmesan, turning off the heat, stir. This step is called “mantecare” and it’s critical
• Serve on plates, add the gorgonzola and top with aged balsamico

Step 3: Take a picture with all the gorgeous colors on your plate, open a pinot-noir, and enjoy!

Tips for the perfect creamy pumpkin risotto

• Use powdered broth – we tried with fresh, and yes, it is a bit better, but it saves you a ton of time and, frankly, it doesn’t make all that difference in the end in terms of taste
• Set the broth casserole right next to the risotto pan – will result in less broth spilling in the transfer and less cleaning to do later
• Cover the rice with 3-4 ladles of broth at a time in the earlier stages of the rice cooking (i.e., just enough to cover the rice) – let simmer. This will allow you to interact a bit more with your guests and family without having to spend 40 minutes glued to the cooking range stirring continuously – you’ll still need to check every 5 min or so and stir, but you’ll have more time to enjoy the evening
• Add butter and parmesan when the rice is al-dente. Don’t wait until the rice is fully cooked, or it will become too soft once it’s time for eating
• Once you have set the rice on the plates and added the gorgonzola, let it sit for 1-2 minutes before adding the balsamico. This will allow for the gorgonzola to start melting (and the rice is scalding anyways at that point) and the contrast with the balsamic vinegar to be sharper once added fresh

A Must-Try Fall Recipe

This creamy pumpkin risotto with balsamic vinegar is not just a comforting dish, but makes a nice experience to share with friends and family as the seasons change.