$5 Meals: Honey Roast Pumpkin Risotto

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pumpkin risotto
Image by annapustynnikova @ stock.adobe.com

This is one of the cheapest ‘gourmet’ meals you can make. 

Rice costs just a few cents. If you make your own stock from scraps, it costs a few cents as well.

And in season, you can pick up whole pumpkins for under $1. So you can feed the whole family a delicious and filling meal for only a couple of dollars. 

It is, however, worth splurging on some nice cheese. A good, freshly grated parmesan will lift this dish into culinary heights. A little goes a long way and lasts a long time in the fridge, so although it’s a bit pricey up front, parmesan doesn’t add much to the cost of the dish. 

The honey is also optional, but oh so delicious. Sprinkle in a little feta if you have it (I keep some in the freezer) or a little blue cheese to offset the sweetness of the honey. 

Yield: 4

Pumpkin Risotto

pumpkin risotto

This honey roasted pumpkin risotto is super cheap but very elegant. Delicious and filling - it's a great way to use pumpkin when in season.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 500g pumpkin cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 1 Tbsp or so of olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. rosemary (or 1/4 tsp dried)
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/2 onion finely diced
  • 1 cup of Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine (optional - replace with extra stock if not using)
  • 1 – 2 litres of vegetable stock (warmed if you can be bothered but not essential)
  • 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. On a baking sheet, toss the pumpkin in the oil, garlic, rosemary and honey.
  2. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes or until cooked through, giving the pan a shake halfway through cooking.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a little oil or butter in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté onion until soft. Add the rice, stirring to coat in the oil.
  4. Next, pour in the wine if using and stir until absorbed into the rice. Ladle in a little stock at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Keep adding stock and stirring until the rice is cooked through.
  5. Stir in the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper (to taste – you have to taste). Gently stir in the cooked pumpkin and serve.

Notes

Add different flavours by stirring through leftover feta or leftover blue cheese.

You can use chicken stock if you don't have a vegetable for a non-vegetarian option.

You can use any rice you have on hand. Different rice will take longer to cook and may need extra stock.

If you like things creamy you can add a dash of cream at the end.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 243Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 1712mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 7g

Nutritional information is calculated automatically using the Nutritionix database. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, serving size or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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3 Comments

  1. I do a pumpkin risotto too, but I’ve never thought to do it “honey roasted” so it’s a unique revelation to me. I know how I’ll be making risotto next time.

  2. Cooked this the other night, absolutely delicious. I didn’t add cream as there was none in the house. It was creamy enough without it. The honey glazed pumpkin gave it a beautiful sweet zing.
    Will definitely be making it again.

    1. Melissa Goodwin says:

      Hi Shaz, glad the recipe worked well for you. We also happened to have this for dinner last night and also had no cream. Probably won’t use cream again.