brown-rice-pumpkin-risotto

Brown Rice Pumpkin Risotto

This creamy and spicy pumpkin risotto with fall flavors of sage and cinnamon is a vegetarian main course for fall. Make it with homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin.

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium broth, such as chicken or vegetable
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 3/4 cups pureed cooked pumpkin, or 1 15-ounce can canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook, stirring often until softened and just beginning to brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in rice and cook, stirring until the rice grains start to get translucent in spots, about 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in wine and cook, stirring often until the wine has mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Stir in broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer undisturbed until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 30 minutes.
  5. Stir in pumpkin, sage and cinnamon and cook, stirring often until the mixture is thickened and the rice is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat, stir in 3/4 cup Romano cheese, cover and let sit 5 minutes off the heat to thicken further. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, more freshly ground pepper and sage leaves for garnish.

TO MAKE WITH WHITE ARBORIO RICE

Note that arborio is much faster cooking than brown rice, so in step 4 cook the arborio covered for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid, add in the pumpkin and seasoning and cook only until the arborio is al dente, creamy and thickened.