We value your privacy
We use cookies to help give you the best experience on our site and to allow us and third parties to customise the marketing content you see across websites and social media. For more information see our
Pumpkin risotto
Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Maja Smend
Pumpkin risotto
The River Cafe's autumnal pumpkin risotto is one of their signature dishes and easy to cook at home
Serves: 6
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time:
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
655Kcal
Fat
39gr
Saturates
20gr
Carbs
55gr
Sugars
8gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
16gr
Salt
0.9gr
The River Cafe
Founded by Ruth Rogers, The River Cafe is celebrating its 30th birthday this year
See more of The River Cafe’s recipes
The River Cafe
Founded by Ruth Rogers, The River Cafe is celebrating its 30th birthday this year
See more of The River Cafe’s recipes
Ingredients
- 850g pumpkin or butternut squash
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano, thyme or marjoram leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thickly sliced
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 litre fresh vegetable or chicken stock
- 150g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 medium red onion, very finely chopped
- 300g risotto rice (such as Arborio)
- 75ml extra dry white vermouth
- Parmesan or vegetarian alternative, freshly grated
Step by step
Get ahead
Roast the squash in advance, then reheat for 10 minutes or so in the oven before serving. The risotto can be part-cooked ahead (to the point where about ⅔ of the stock has been added), then spread out in a large dish and cooled. Return to the pan and carry on adding hot stock when you’re ready to serve.
-
Preheat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Remove the seeds and fibres from the pumpkin or squash, cutting the flesh (with skin) into large chunks. Place, skin-side down, on a baking tray. Season with sea salt and black pepper and scatter over the herbs and garlic. Pour over 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and rub into the flesh. Cover with foil and bake the pumpkin for 50 minutes or until it is soft and shrivelled and has begun to brown at the edges. Allow to cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh from the skin, then discard the skin.
-
Meanwhile, heat the stock in a large pan, and keep on a low heat, covered. Melt 75g of the butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Gently fry the onion for 15 minutes or until soft. Add the rice and stir until the grains become coated with butter. Add the vermouth and stir until it has been absorbed. Add two ladlefuls of hot stock, or just enough to cover the rice, and simmer, stirring, until the rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Continue to add more stock as the previous addition is absorbed.
-
After 20 minutes, nearly all the stock will have been absorbed by the rice; each grain will have a creamy coating, but will remain al dente. Add the remaining butter, in small pieces, the roasted pumpkin and Parmesan, being careful not to over-stir. Serve immediately.
Recipe taken from River Cafe 30 by Ruth Rogers, Rose Gray, Joseph Trivelli and Sian Wyn Owen (Ebury Press, £28). Available from 5 October