These past few days, I have been going full force on the fall season. From decorating to landscaping, cooking and baking, it’s been all about my favorite season around here, and there’s plenty to celebrate. For one, this is our first fall in our new home in a new city, we’ll be hosting a big Halloween costume party, and my October birthday is just around the corner!
One of the best ways to toast to falling leaves and cooler weather is to break out the pumpkins – Pumpkins can be large and small, bumpy and smooth, carved and decorative, and delicious… and I can’t stop baking with that warm, spicy aroma and comforting, rich taste all season long.
After making a pumpkin cake (look out for that recipe soon), I was hunting around for other ways to use up my leftover pumpkin puree and decided to whip up this delicious and flavorful pumpkin risotto. It’s a cinch to make even for the novice cook and absolutely the most cozy, scrumptious hug-in-a-bowl you could ask for to help swing in the fall season properly!
Topped with crispy bacon and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (I recommend keeping the good stuff on hand), this creamy spiced pumpkin risotto will melt in your mouth and surprise you with its ease. It’s just so darn scrumptious, whether as a full meal or side dish, dinner or lunch, and if you’ve never tried risotto you’ll be so delighted to realize that it’s really a piece of cake.
And, If you’re not big on pumpkin, maybe you could appreciate a Parmesan risotto with butter, fresh basil and white wine… also a favorite in this house!
Creamy Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup long-grain rice or Arborio rice
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of grated nutmeg
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- ½ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 2 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic and rice and sauté for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the chicken broth, the salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth and the pumpkin, and cook for another 5 minutes. The rice will be tender and slightly moist. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and cream. Cover while you prepare bacon.
- In a small pan, sauté chopped bacon on medium-high heat until crispy, 6-7 minutes. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease.
- Serve risotto, topping with crispy bacon and freshly grated Parmesan.
- Enjoy!
Peter and I are huge risotto fans and make a batch every year with pumpkin or, more often, squash. Lovely photos. How come the risotto doesn’t leak out through the holes in that bowl? lol
What a gorgeous presentation Georgia! Looking forward to the pumpkin cake also.
I’m hugely addicted to risotto, but I’ve never tried it with pumpkin. I love the idea though – could kind of go savory for dinner or sweeter for dessert…
I really love this idea! I’ve never tried a pumpkin dish other than dessert. Yum!
This looks AMAZING! Such perfect comfort food for fall.
Just beautiful! What a great one for the transition into fall weather….thanks!
This looks amazing. Like, want-to-make-it-right-now amazing. Saving this one!
I am loving this gorgeous risotto. We are huge fans over here. I tried it last earlier this year with winter squash and sage; but I love what you’ve done with the pumpkin on this one. I am ready for those savory pumpkin dishes to begin and your risotto is a must try. Thank you for sharing it with us!
I love fall, too! Our weather has been blazing here, though, so we’re definitely still in the throes of summer! I’m printing this recipe to save for when fall really does come. :)
What a beautiful and delicious looking risotto. I love fall too – have fun decorating your new home this season!
This looks incredible and the photos are even prettier!!
I’m very excited to start baking and cooking with pumpkins! not to mention decorating! Risotto with pumpkin is so comforting and the addition of bacon is a really great idea!
This is really a wonderful recipe. The list of ingredients sound like this would be an amazing dish on a cool winters night. Great post.
Mmm pumpkin risotto, my favorite! This looks delicious. Want right now!
This is beautiful. Risotto has to be one of my favorite things to make and your addition of pumpkin sounds amazing! I haven’t been here in a while but I love your posts!
This looks gorgeous and delicious – perfect for fall!
What a scrumptious flavor combination! This risotto looks delicious!
This looks amazing! I think we’ll be trying this soon.
wow sounds so delicious
Georgia, this is very comforting and delicious recipe. Love your pretty photos,and beautiful post!!! Good luck on a Halloween party!
I’ve been breaking out the pumpkin, as well. This looks like a great way to taste a little bit of fall!!
Oh this looks so good! I definitely see it in my future. What a clever idea! Maybe I’ll make it next week, I do have pumpkin to use up after all :D
Wow – this is stunning! I love risotto, and pumpkin but have never put them together! Sounds delicious!
What a stunning risotto…my boys would love the bacon addition :)
That pumpkin will make a difference on this risotto. I can’t resist to prepare an exact version as what you’ve got here. Thanks for sharing.
This is an amazing risotto and I have to say – your pictures are an absolute feast for the eyes! Thank you for sharing this!
What beautiful autumn pictures and such a great recipe!
I’ve been loving risotto lately, but never thought to add pumpkin to it! What a perfect fall recipe :)
I’ve never bought canned pumpkin before, but I’ve been eying on it since last year (that’s the time I found out there is canned pumpkin!). Using it for risotto is much more user-friendly to me since I don’t bake… I’m really excited to try this recipe this fall. I’m enjoying your lovely photos all the time. :-)
I love fall too; it’s my favorite season! I also love pumpkin and risotto, so I know I would love this dish…autumn perfection!
Yum…risotto is one of my all-time favorite foods! I love these photos – such gorgeous fall colors!
– Maggie
I’m sorry, I got lost somewhere after I read the word bacon…. mmmmmmmmm!!!!
This does sound like a big, fall hug in a bowl. We love risotto. And bacon? Oh, yeah!
What an incredible Fall flavor combination!! Looks and sounds absolutely delicious.
I absolutely love risotto, and this sounds amazing.
Hi Katie, I’m so glad you enjoyed this risotto! Great idea with the cayenne pepper, too – I love it! Thanks for stopping by.
I tried this, and it was amazing!!! I put a little cayenne pepper for a kick. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, um… yes please. Perfect fall dinner.
Your recipe looks delicious. Have you tried it with sage? How about dumplings? Cheers !
Sage would be a nice idea for next time! And no, I haven’t tried it with dumplings, but I’m not quite sure what you mean by that.
made it tonight. LOVED IT. used a whole can of pumpkin to really bring out the pumpkin flavor. and the bacon really made the dish!
I just made this last night and it was amazing!! Everyone who ate it was skeptical since they’re so used to pumpkin flavors being pumpkin pie flavors, and that it might be sweet. But when they tried it they were surprised at how savory it was! The bacon makes this dish, for sure.
I added a little bit of cinnamon to kick the flavor up a bit, and I really liked it that way.
Thank you!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, my whole family loved it!
We loved this recipe! It was added to our list for 15 Recipes to Welcome Fall for Tasty Tuesday on 4virtu.com – THANK YOU! :)