Our easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto is drizzled with a decadent brown butter sage and Air Fryer Roasted Chestnuts sauce for the creamiest coziest vegetarian meal ever. One delicious bite is like getting a big warm hug from mom. A must-try hearty family dinner on a chilly fall day or as a festive side dish for a Thanksgiving feast.
Sometimes, life is just too busy, or you don’t have enough burners to make it the traditional way. Using a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) makes this creamy pumpkin risotto recipe super easy. How simple? A quick sauté, 6 minutes in the pressure cooker, and you are done.
No more standing and stirring while adding broth to the risotto a little at a time (of course unless you want to). If you want to get into the Zen of risotto making, try our Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Saffron or Chanterelle Mushroom Risotto.
No pressure cooker, No worries! We have included stove top instruction in the recipe too.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Arborio Rice is a short-grained rice named after the area in Italy where it was first cultivated. This special type of rice has more starch than the long grained Jasmine rice we use to cook our Hong Kong Fried Rice or our Vegan Curried Rice. When the Arborio rice cooks, it slowly releases its starch. You end up with a firmer al dente texture but creamier rice.
You can purchase Arborio rice at a regular grocery store, and it is found in the rice isle.
VERY IMPORTANT TIP! Never rinse or wash Arborio rice. Doing so will wash away all the starch content that gives risotto its delicious texture.
We haven’t tried substituting any other type of grain in this pumpkin sage risotto. However, a potential substitution may be sushi rice, as it also has a high starch and amylose content.
Pumpkin (or Squash) is the second key ingredient. We used a fresh ‘pie pumpkin’ like in our Thai Pumpkin Curry. However, you could also use a butternut squash, kabocha like in our Air Fryer Kabocha Squash with Curried Sauce, acorn or other favorite winter squash of choice. If you want to save time, you can purchase the already peeled and chopped fresh squash. A final alternative is to add chopped defrosted frozen squash or pumpkin.
Fresh is always best. If you don’t have fresh pumpkin or squash, you could add plain (no sugar added) pureed canned pumpkin at the end of the cooking process.
An important thing to note is that each pumpkin/squash has a different water content. You may have to add a little more broth or add a little more parmesan to get it to the consistency you desire. We will discuss all about that in the recipe below.
White Wine, like a dry sherry or a nice chardonnay, is perfect to deglaze the instant pot. However, you can exchange with more vegetable broth instead.
Parmigiano-Reggiano – The King of Cheeses! Instant pot pumpkin risotto is extra delicious with freshly grated parmesan. If you want to make your risotto vegan, you can swap out with a little nutritional yeast and leave out the cheese.
Brown Butter Sage and Chestnut Sauce
Do you ever smile or moan when you take a bite of dinner? If not, this is going to be one of those times. This delectable sage infused brown butter sauce with roasted chestnuts is killer good. Seriously, we could eat it just by the spoonful. It’s delicious drizzled over a bowl of creamy pumpkin risotto. There are 3 just ingredients…
- Butter – Melted and transformed into a delicious brown butter that is sometimes called “beurre noisette” in French. When the butter is melted and the milk solids solidify at the bottom of the pan, the butter becomes nutty and flavorful.
- Fresh Sage Leaves – Frying sage leaves in butter will delight your senses with the most amazing aromas of fall. These are used to garnish the dish.
- Air Fried Roasted Chestnuts – Taking plain Italian pumpkin risotto to the next level. Toasty and nutty with that little contrast of texture.
Step By Step Risotto
- Place the instant pot on the sauté setting. Add olive oil and aromatics (onions and garlic) to the instant pot, then sauté until aromatic.
- Add in the Arborio rice and sauté until all the rice are coated in olive oil and toasty.
- Toss in the diced pumpkin/squash cubes of choice.
- Stir well.
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
- Pour in vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you do not need to keep vegetarian).
- Pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
- Add in grated parmesan cheese and a little extra broth if needed to get the right texture.
Brown Butter Sauce
Are you getting hungry? The addition of brown butter sage and roasted chestnut sauce takes this recipe over the top. It’s so good! Try it drizzled over our Roasted Butternut and Carrot Ginger Soup! This step is optional.
- Try our recipe for Air Fryer Roasted Chestnuts. Recipe for baked and boiled chestnuts included. You can peel and store the chestnuts in a sealed container in the refrigerator a couple days in advance.
- Roughly chop chestnuts
- Start by adding butter to a saucepan and melt.
- Add in fresh sage leaves and fry in your butter. Fry until crispy. Remove and set aside (you will use fried sage leaves as a garnish).
- Gently simmer butter until foamy and the butter’s milk solids start to turn golden brown.
- Add in the chopped chestnuts and stir for one minute, then set aside.
Equipment
Do you have a pressure cooker? It is such a handy device. It makes cooking risotto a breeze (we have a 6-quart Duo Instant Pot model). You can sauté and pressure cook all in one device. Whether you want to make Pressure Cooker Oxtail Stew, side of Instant Pot Black Rice Pilaf, or whip up a quick batch of Instant Pot Lentil Ham Stew, it cuts down on cooking time and makes everything super tender.
Tips for Success
- Do NOT wash Arborio rice before cooking. The starches are what make risotto creamy and delicious.
- Toast the Arborio rice in the pressure cooker (instant pot) with the aromatics and olive oil using the sauté function. Do not burn the rice! Coat and toast all the rice grains with olive oil. This process gives the risotto a protective coating that allows the rice to absorb the liquids without getting mushy.
- The Instant Pot takes a while to heat up or come to pressure – about 10 to 15 minutes. If you warm up the broth in the microwave first (just take the chill out), it speeds up the process.
- Don’t add the Parmesan cheese until the very end of the cooking process.
- The perfect consistency for risotto is not too loose and not too thick – but a happy medium. If you run a spoon on the bottom of the instant pot, it should leave a line before gently starting to return. The texture should be creamy, but with body to hold its shape. Watch our video in the recipe card below to learn more.
- Make sure to have the extra cups of vegetable broth set aside. Once the pressure cook process is complete, you may need to add more broth. If your risotto is too thin, add in a little more parmesan cheese. The reason for this difference is due to the different types of pumpkins and squash have different moisture levels. Do not add more than you need as the rice will continue to absorb the liquid.
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto should have a slight chew, but the mixture should be creamy.
- As your risotto sits and starts to cool, it gets thicker. It is best to serve right away.
Stove Top Alternative
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, try this pumpkin risotto recipe the old traditional way.
- Warm up your vegetable broth on the stove top.
- Pour yourself a glass of wine – very important step!
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven (or large deep pan/skillet with lid). Then, add the pumpkin or butternut squash to the pan and sauté for one minute. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth, cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Remove lid and sauté until liquid evaporates.
- Add in Arborio rice and toss until all the rice grains are covered in oil.
- Deglaze the pan with a ½ glass of white wine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Add one ladle of broth at a time to the risotto.
- Slowly stir the risotto, meditate, and enjoy your wine, until it is absorbed. Repeat that process until the rice is al dente and creamy.
- Add in Parmesan cheese and enjoy while hot.
Frequent Asked Questions
Risotto is best enjoyed hot and right away. However, it can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Risotto can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. You will need to add a little more vegetable broth to get it loosened up.
It is not recommended as rice gets hard and the texture is not pleasant. However, try making Risotto balls (Arancini) with the leftovers. Roll risotto in a ball and coat with egg and seasoned breadcrumbs and shallow fry or air fry until toasty golden and delicious.
Use a vegetable broth and hold the parmesan cheese. You can top with a little nutritional yeast as desired.
More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes
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Instant Pot Pumpkin Risotto
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot
Ingredients
Prep for Chestnut Brown Butter Sauce (optional) - Can be made a couple of days in advance
- 15 Air Fried Roasted Chestnuts roasted and peeled (We roasted and peeled our chestnuts the day before and stored in the refrigerator)
Pumpkin Risotto
- 3 and ½ cups pumpkin heaping cups (about 1 pound) of raw, peeled and sliced in 1 inch cubes (we used a pie pumpkin but also super delicious with butternut squash, kabocha, acorn or other desired winter squash)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion
peeled and chopped - 4 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - 2 cups Arborio rice uncooked (Do NOT rinse!)
- ½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry
- 4.5 cups vegetable stock Not Including an extra 1 to 2 cups just in case you need to thin it out or want to reheat later. We used a low sodium brand. In addition, we microwaved the broth for just a minute or 2 to take the chill out- not hot just luke warm)
- 2 cups vegetable stock These are the extra cups described above. Used to thin the risotto if needed and/or reheat later.
- 1 teaspoons thyme
dried or 1 tablespoon fresh - salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese
freshly grated (we also like to have a ¼ cup extra to garnish for serving)
Brown Butter Sage Chestnut Sauce (Optional BUT so Good)
- 1 stick butter (8 tablespoons or ½ cup) if you use salted butter, there is no need to season. On the other hand, if you use unsalted butter, please add a little dash of salt to taste.
- 4-6 whole sage leaves fresh
- 15 Air Fryer Roasted Chestnuts should already have been previously roasted and peeled (You can do this step a couple of days in advance)
Instructions
- If you plan on making the delicious Brown Butter Sage and Chestnut Sauce, roast and peel chestnuts first. You can do this up to a couple days in advance. The brown butter sauce is totally optional but really takes this recipe to the next level. If you do not plan on making the sauce, skip to the next step.
- Peel and chop pumpkin or favorite winter squash (like butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc.) into one inch cubes. We had about 3.5 heaping cups or about 1 pound total. Set aside.
- Set your Instant Pot (pressure cooker) to the sauté function. Add in olive oil, onions, garlic and sauté until aromatic and translucent.
- Do NOT wash the rice! Add the raw dry Arborio rice to the aromatics in the instant pot. Stir and toast Arborio rice for 1 to 2 minutes or until all of the rice are well coated with oil.
- Add peeled and cubed pumpkin or squash in the instant pot. Season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.
- Pour ½ cup of dry white wine or sherry over the rice and pumpkin in the instant pot to deglaze pan. Stir well. Turn off sauté function on instant pot.
- Add in 4.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you do not need to keep vegetarian) (Optional: If you want to cut down on the time for the Instant pot to heat up, microwave the broth for just a minute or two to take the chill out so that it is lukewarm).
- Seal the instant pot (or pressure cooker) with lid and make sure the nozzle is set to NO VENT. Set the Instant pot on high for 6 minutes. It takes the instant pot about 10 minutes to get up to pressure and heat up.
Make Brown Butter Sage and Chestnut Sauce (optional - but so GOOD!)
- While your pumpkin risotto is cooking, make the chestnut sauce. Place butter in a small sauce pan and slowly melt over medium low heat.
- Add fresh sage leaves to fry until crispy. Only takes 1 to 2 minutes. Remove sage leaves from pan and set aside
- Continue to cook and stir the butter until it gets foamy. The milk solids from the butter will turn golden brown and it will be golden.
- Add chopped roasted chestnuts and stir into brown butter sauce and sauté for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat source and set aside.
Finish the Dish
- When the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) is done cooking, Carefully, use the quick release method to vent out steam. Use oven mittens and point the release nozzle away from your face and others! Do NOT open the lid until the plunger has depressed or you know that the pressure is completely released.
- Add parmesan cheese to the risotto and stir. The pumpkin cubes will start to fall apart and combine with the rice. Assess the texture. The perfect consistency for risotto is not too loose and not too thick but a happy medium. If you run a spoon on the bottom of the instant pot, it should leave a line and gently start to return. The texture should be creamy, but with body to hold its shape. Watch our video in the recipe card below to see it in action.You may need to add more broth to get the right consistency. If your risotto is too thin, add in a little more parmesan cheese. As your risotto sits and starts to cool, it gets thicker. It is best to serve right away. Check seasoning. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Place a large scoop of the creamy risotto in each of the serving bowls. Spoon over a tablespoon of the brown butter sage and chestnut sauce or so. Garnish with a little extra grated parmesan cheese and fried sage leaves. Enjoy!
Alternative Stove Top Instructions in the Recipe Notes Below
Video
Notes
- Do NOT wash Arborio rice before cooking. The starches are what make risotto creamy and delicious.
- Toast the Arborio rice in the pressure cooker (instant pot) with the aromatics and olive oil using the sauté function. Do not burn the rice but instead coat and toast all the rice grains with olive oil. This process gives the risotto a protective coating that allows the rice to absorb the liquids without getting mushy.
- The instant pot (pressure cooker) takes a while to heat up or come to pressure – about 10 to 15 minutes. If you warm up the broth in the microwave first (just take the chill out), it speeds up the process.
- Don’t add the Parmesan cheese until the very end of the cooking process.
- The perfect consistency for risotto is not too loose and not too thick but a happy medium. If you run a spoon on the bottom of the instant pot, it should leave a line and gently start to return. The texture should be creamy, but with body to hold its shape.
- Once the pressure cook process is complete, you may need to add more broth. If your risotto is too thin, add in a little more parmesan cheese. The reason for this difference is due to the different types of pumpkins and squash have different moisture levels. Do not add more than you need as the rice will continue to absorb the liquid.
- Risotto should have a slight chew, but the mixture should be creamy
- Warm up your vegetable broth on the stove top.
- Pour yourself a glass of wine – very important step!
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven (or large deep pan/skillet with lid). Then, add the pumpkin or butternut squash to the pan and sauté for one minute. Add ½ cup of vegetable broth, cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Remove lid and sauté until liquid evaporates.
- Add in Arborio rice and toss until all the rice grains are covered in oil.
- Deglaze the pan with a ½ glass of white wine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Add one ladle of broth at a time to the risotto.
- Slowly stir the risotto, meditate, and enjoy your wine, until it is absorbed. Repeat that process until the rice is al dente and creamy.
- Add in Parmesan cheese and enjoy while hot.
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
You've made this dinner both easy and delicious. Your homemade sauce adds such an amazing finishing touch. This really is the perfect comfort food treat for a cold winter day!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Heidi! We hope you are staying warm on this blustery cold winter day. We seriously could do shots of the brown butter chestnut sage sauce- so good!
Judee@Gluten Free A-Z Blog says
What a fabulous looking risotto. I love the addition of sage with the pumpkin and rice. I also appreciate the vegan suggestion.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much Judee. Sage and pumpkin are so good together. We hope you give it a try soon.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Love, love, LOVE risotto! And this looks so wonderful -- just loaded with flavor. Terrific recipe -- a classic! Thanks.
HWC Magazine says
Thanks so much John! We love love Risotto too. Just so cozy on a cool fall or winter day. So glad you enjoyed this instant pot version. Take care
Michelle says
This is the ultimate Autumn comfort food! Love that you've added roasted chestnuts to this too! So delicious!
HWC Magazine says
Thank you and we could not agree more. Risotto is almost, we say almost, as good as getting a hug from your mom. (Smiling)
Dana says
I love risotto
Hannah says
Talk about a bowlful of pure creamy comfort! That looks SO good. I've got butternut on hand right now so I might just try that instead of pumpkin.
HWC Magazine says
Thank you Hannah. Butternut squash is really good in this risotto recipe. Wishing you a very easy and restful Thanksgiving holiday.
Eha says
*laughter* Commented on this on 4 Nov 2014 . . . Lordie !!! Still stove-top, still love it with our butternut pumpkin and still pour that first glass and perchance the second to help that meditation . . . oh, still jealous we can;t collect or buy chestnuts and just have to look on ! . . . hugs . . .
HWC Magazine says
Hi there Eha! Our chestnut risotto is an oldie but goodie. Absolutely, stove top for you with lots of wine for the chef and the risotto! Hoping Santa can bring you some chestnuts. Stay well and take care
dianeskitchentable says
And it's about time I sat down to catch up with you! What a wonderful post to sit down with. I can see myself loving this and I never would have thought to add the chestnuts...pumpkin I've been thinking about but the chestnuts add the wow factor in my opinion. I can also back up what you said about getting the shell off the chestnuts fast since I didn't do that one time & it really caused some new 'words'. I hope you've enjoyed you visitors & oh would I love to be one of them.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Diane, I hope your are sitting down in your beautiful new kitchen with a cup of coffee and the sun shinning in. Oh you are so right, you have to peel right away. I don't even take chestnuts out of the water until just a few seconds before peeling. However, the it is worth all of the work as it really takes this dish to the second level. There is always an open invite for your to come and visit in HK, would love to see you! Have a super weekend and take care.
Barbara Bamber | justasmidgen says
I can't wait until you come back and tell me who visited you and where you went together! I love risotto and it's definitely the season here for a warm lovely dish like this one. I had my first chestnuts in New York and loved them!
shenANNAgans says
Would never have thought to add chestnuts to risotto, better get some chestnuts in my life now me thinks.
Raymund says
Now you gave me an idea on how to use those chestnuts we get for Christmas, love this recipe
mjskit says
Now that is a beautiful risotto! I just want to pick up a fork and start eating.