Oven Baked Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Fried Sage

A simple, creamy oven baked risotto with pumpkin, smoked garlic and sage.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword baked risotto, pumpkin recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Pumpkin Roasting Time 40

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 573kcal

1 Harlequin pumpkin or use any sweet fleshed squash like butternut or crown prince
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vegan butter
3 shallots peeled and diced
3 plump cloves smoked garlic peeled and diced. Use fresh garlic if you can't get smoked
8 cooked chestnuts finely chopped. I use Merchant Gourmet vacuum packed chestnuts.
250 g risotto rice
200 g roasted pumpkin finely chopped
5 sage leaves finely chopped
50 ml vegan sherry/white wine
900 ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200C/390F
Slice the pumpkin into approximately 2cm/¾ inch slices, remove the seeds.
Lay the pumpkin slices on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Roast in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes or until browned and fork tender.
You will need 200g/7oz of roasted squash for the risotto. Spoon the cooked pumpkin from its skin and chop, finely. Any remaining squash can be frozen for later use.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F
Heat the oil and butter gently in a large, shallow casserole dish.
Add the diced shallots and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft.
Add the chopped garlic, sage and chestnuts and cook for a further minute.
Add the rice and cook, stirring gently, for about 2 minutes until all the rice kernels are covered in oil and glistening.
Add the sherry or white wine, stir and sizzle for a minute.
Add the stock, pumpkin and a little black pepper, stir and pop the lid on or cover with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until rice is cooked. Don't peek under the lid or you will let all the steam escape and stop it from doing its job!
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the nutritional yeast, if liked, and some black pepper. Give it all a good stir.
Let the risotto sit for a few minutes. Add a little water to loosen if needed. Season to taste.

Heat the oil in a small frying pan until hot
Add the sage leaves 3 or 4 at a time (stand back, they will spit), fry for a minute or two until they change colour.
Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Repeat with the remaining leaves.

Spoon into individual dishes and top with a slice of roast squash and a couple of crispy sage leaves if liked.

Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.