Sugar Pumpkins are at their prime, so pick one up and enjoy how amazingly tasty they can be if roasted. This risotto dish is perfect for chilly fall evenings.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried crumbled sage
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 1½ cups arborio rice
- 4 cups broth, hot
- 1 prepped sugar pumpkin (see below)
- ½ cup whole milk
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
Lightly oil a slow cooker, start preheating on High, add broth.
In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in sage and garlic, cook for another minute. Stir in rice and cook for a few more minutes, until rice is translucent.
Transfer rice to slow cooker, stir in. Cover and cook for about 1½ hours, checking halfway to stir.
Meanwhile, prep sugar pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 350°, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scrub a small pumpkin (about 2 pounds), dry and cut in half. Scrape out seeds. Rub in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage on the halves. Season with a sprinkle of sea salt and ground black pepper.
Roast pumpkin halves, cut side up, for about 1 hour 20 minutes, until fork tender.
Let cool for a bit, then scrape out flesh. Transfer to a food processor. Run pumpkin with the whole milk until smooth.
Stir rice in cooker well, add in pumpkin and ½ cup Parmesan cheese, let heat through. Taste for seasoning and if it needs more cheese.
Serves 4 to 6.
How does the slow cooker risotto texture compare to the old fashioned stirring every few minutes on the stove method?Close enough that I make risotto like this from now on? Or is this more of a cheater way to get good enough risotto? Because I love me some risotto and would eat it weekly if it wasn’t such a hassle. (ok, there are other reasons, like not always having homemade stock but still).
I felt it was pretty similar. Not quite as silky….but….it was also so hands off that I could overlook that 😉 You might find it needs a bit more liquid if you were making it without the pumpkin – I’d use 6 cups broth personally.