Pumpkin Risotto

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Pumpkin Risotto is creamy and comforting with sweet roasted pumpkin, fresh thyme and smoky bacon. Use canned pumpkin puree as a timesaver and make it vegetarian with one simple swap!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Instant Pot

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 443kcal

Author: Marcie

Ingredients

4 cups homemade chicken stock sub with vegetable stock for vegetarian; see note
8 ounces bacon chopped; see note 3
1/2 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1.5 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine omit if you prefer not to cook with alcohol
2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme sub with 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup roasted pumpkin sub with canned pumpkin puree; see note 2
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the chicken stock in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering.
4 cups homemade chicken stock
Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon, and place the bacon on a paper towel lined plate. Discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.
8 ounces bacon
Add the onion to the bacon grease in the pot and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir the arborio rice into the pot and cook for 1 minute to toast, then stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds more.
1/2 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1.5 cups arborio rice, 2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme
Add the wine to the pot and scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to deglaze. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, or about 2 minutes.
1/2 cup white wine
Slowly add one ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the warm chicken stock to the pot, stirring frequently. Add an additional ladleful of stock each time the liquid has been absorbed, until all of the stock has been added and the risotto is al dente. The rice is ready for more stock when you can draw a line through the risotto with a wooden spoon and the liquid stays put. If after 4 cups of stock the risotto has not reached the desired doneness, add 1/2 -1 cup additional warm stock or water.
Stir in the roasted pumpkin, parmesan cheese and butter until combined. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
1 cup roasted pumpkin
Serve topped with crispy bacon and additional fresh thyme leaves and parmesan cheese as desired. Enjoy!
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, Salt and freshly ground pepper

Notes

Pro tip: Prepare the homemade pumpkin puree in advance to make this recipe go very quickly. Use store bought canned pumpkin as a time saver.
Fresh pumpkin really elevates this risotto. You can simply add mashed roasted pumpkin or either homemade or store bought pumpkin purée.
Start using 4 cups of chicken stock, which results in al dente rice. Use another 1/2 - 1 cup additional stock or water as needed to reach the desired texture. Be sure that the additional stock or water is hot!
Omit the bacon and use vegetable stock to make this recipe vegetarian. Top with toasted pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds for added protein and texture.
Store pumpkin risotto with bacon in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Cooking time does not include preparing the roasted pumpkin as that is included in a separate post.

Nutrition