I don’t often develop savory recipes for the blog, but when I do it’s really fun. Recipe testing = making dinner. How convenient! As much as I’d like to, I can’t exactly eat chocolate chip cookies for dinner. Robert and I have enjoyed this risotto many times as I developed it, and we were definitely not upset about it.
Here’s a secret for you: I had never made risotto before creating this recipe. Why, you ask? Because it takes too long. It’s still on my bucket list of things to make, preferably on a lazy Saturday evening while sipping wine and listening to a podcast, but it hasn’t actually happened yet. I’ve wanted to for a while now, but it’s something you have to plan ahead for a little bit, and I think I was also a little scared to screw it up as a novice.
When Veetee Rice reached out to me about working together, I wondered what it would be like to make a “cheater’s” risotto with ready-to-go rice like theirs. As it turns out, it’s SUPER EASY and SUPER FAST. And this particular pumpkin version is really cozy and delicious. Eating it is like wrapping yourself in a warm fall blanket of tastiness.
Here are some tips for this recipe, although it’s not hard at all: Prep everything before you start sautéing. This comes together very quickly once you start putting things in the pan, kind of like a fried rice. Just have it all prepped so the different components can get dumped in every few minutes.
Also, don’t skip the toasted pecans – they’re key to this recipe. They add that crunch factor and a different kind of sweet-savoriness. This risotto is great as a side dish but would also be wonderful topped with some roasted chicken and brussels sprouts. One night we made a stir fry with the leftovers and some pulled chicken we had, plus some onions and other various veggies. You can totally give this new life as leftovers because it’s already packed with flavor.
Speaking of leftovers, I’ve also provided instructions for how to take your leftover risotto and turn it into arancini, aka little balls of risotto dipped in bread crumbs and baked until golden brown. They’re wonderful dunked in warm marinara sauce, and it’s a fun way to turn the risotto into something completely different.
I developed this recipe for the Virtual Pumpkin Party, a fun blogger party I started last year when I shared my pumpkin ginger cookies. Which, by the way, is still one of my favorite recipes. I haven’t made them yet this year, so I need to fix that soon.
The idea behind this pumpkin party is to acknowledge that the internet gets bombarded with pumpkin stuff around this time of year, so let’s embrace it and run with it, pushing ourselves to come up with new and fun ways to use up fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin, depending on what you have or prefer to use. Aimee from the gorgeous Twigg Studios blog helped me to round up the troops this year, and we have just over 100 bloggers participating. Crazy! That’s a ton of pumpkin recipes, and these people did not disappoint. We have everything from hummus to popsicles to dumplings to cocktails. (By the way, thank you SO much to everyone who participated – you guys are the best!)
You can find all of the participating recipes below, and here is last year’s list if you want even more inspiration. You can also follow along on social media with our hashtag #virtualpumpkinparty. If you’re a blogger and you’re interested in joining for next year, please sign up using this form.
Happy pumpkin season!
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Hortus • Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo with Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Toddy
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine
Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon
Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle
B. Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini
TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Oh Honey Bakes • Pumpkin Cake with Gingersnap Toffee
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes
A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Goat Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
Jewhungry • Mini Pumpkin + Kale Mac n’ Cheese Pot Pies
This post was sponsored by Veetee Rice. Thank you for supporting the brands that help to keep Cake Over Steak running smoothly.
Forks pictured are from For the Chef.
Illustration at top created with Photoshop.
Prints of my illustration (along with other products with my work on them) are available in my Society6 shop.
- ½ cup raw pecans
- olive oil
- fresh sage leaves (about 20)
- 1 leek, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp dry or semi-dry white wine
- Two 9.9-oz packages of Veetee Basmati and Wild Rice
- ¼ - ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock (or water, no big deal)
- 2 cups packed kale, thinly sliced
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup mascarpone cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
- leftover risotto
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- marinara sauce
- Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in a 275-degree oven for 5-10 minutes, until fragrant and browned. Let them cool down for a few minutes and then roughly chop them. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves to the pan and spread them out. Fry until crispy, using tongs to flip them over occasionally. This should only take a few minutes. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once they've cooled, give them a rough chop and set aside.
- Add more oil back to the skillet if it seems too dry and turn the heat to medium. Add the leek and cook for about 3 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute while stirring. Add the wine and cook until it's cooked off.
- Add the rice, ¼ cup stock, kale and nutmeg. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to break up the rice and incorporate everything. Add more stock if it seems too dry.
- Add the pumpkin, mascarpone and parmesan. Stir until combined and warmed through.
- Stir in a portion of the chopped sage. Salt to taste. Remove from the heat.
- Serve warm, topped with toasted pecans and crispy sage.
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the panko bread crumbs on a large plate or shallow bowl.
- Scoop a tbsp-sized amount of the risotto and form it into a ball. Roll in the bread crumbs and place on the baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the risotto.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve with warm marinara sauce.
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Wow two recipes in one post! You know what? I’ve never made risotto either since I find it challenging. I’m so tempted by your pumpkin version though. Will have to try it!
Also, I’d like to thank you Sara for holding this pumpkin party! There are lots of amazing pumpkin recipes to check out now!
Thank you! This risotto is a great place to start if you’re a little scared, like me. ;) Enjoy all of the pumpkin madness!
Sara this risotto looks lovely, and the arancini balls are such a great way to use leftovers. Thank you for organising the pumpkin party this year – it’s so fun to be a part of!! x
Thanks so much Claudia – glad to have you with us! xo
What a fabulous way to use pumpkin Sara.
Love both, risotto and arancini and im in love with your suggestions.
Thanks for all your hard work organising this fabulous event.
Lia xx
Thanks Lia! I had a bunch of fun with this recipe and organizing the party. :-D
Hey Sara! I’m with you girl, any recipe that can be streamlined and made easier is a favorite of mine! I love this. I honestly can’t remember the last time I made risotto…it is a major timesink and best reserved for a super lazy, cold, winter day when all you do is chill in your pj’s and stir a pot! It can be very satisfying, though.
With that said, I LOVE the fact that you used a simpler method! And arancini leftovers…I mean how can you go wrong with little nuggets of fried rice and cheese? LOL Gorgeous, Sara.
Thank you once again for hosting such a fabulous line-up of food bloggers for the second annual Virtual Pumpkin Party! You rock. <3
I definitely still need to make real risotto, preferably with PJs on a lazy winter day, like you mentioned. Thanks so much for the love! xoxo
I can’t believe that I have never made risotto either! This recipe may be the first one I try because it sounds way too good not to.
All of this pumpkin love is so great!! So happy to be a part of it & thanks to YOU for making it happen!
xo
Oh yes, this recipe is a great place to start! I feel like it’s a beginner’s risotto, and then you and I can move onto the big leagues. ;-) Thanks for joining in!
Yay girl! Love risotto and I make it all the time at home (I actually cheat and I bake it so it doesn’t require that much work!). Love the idea of making these tasty little arancini balls with the leftovers. I need to get on that! Thanks for organizing us all. High fives for pumpkin mania!
Oh I love the idea of baking it! Totally going to need that recipe …. Thanks for joining in with your fabulous chili! xoxo
crispy fried sage leaves and pumpkin?! this sounds amazing! i can’t wait to try making this. aaaand all of the other delicious pumpkin recipes. thank you for organizing the #virtualpumpkinparty! i’m excited to check out everyone’s recipes!
Thanks Kate – so glad to have you with us for the party!
Thanks for organizing an epic party celebrating all things pumpkin! I love this recipe, and while I have made risotto, I’ve always wanted to make arancini after watching certain episodes of Top Chef, but I’ve never gotten around to it! I think this recipe will fix that right up ;) Happy #virtualpumpkinparty xoxo
Oh yeah Kelsey – the arancini is so easy! You could also stuff it with some extra cheese, but I didn’t go that route. I bet you would make a fantastic risotto. xoxo
Give me ALL the risotto! I used to not make risotto at ALL, but once I discovered the oven baked version, it’s become a favorite in our house. I love that you added pecans, totally making this this week! Also, arancini are AMAZING, so into those fried balls of goodness! Thanks for organizing girl! xoxo
Liz mentioned an oven baked version too! I need you guys to send me your go-to recipes so I can try this out. Thanks for being a part of it, gf! xoxo
I was just craving risotto when I saw your wonderful recipe! Can’t wait to try this and check out all the recipes at the #virtualpumpkinparty. Thank you for organizing it. Such a blast!
Glad I could come to your craving rescue! xoxo
Gosh I cannot believe risotto hasn’t graced your kitchen before!! I get it though, it is a real labour of love. I’m much more a savoury girl, I wish there was a way I could trade you risotto for one of your many delicious looking sweet treats! Thanks for having me involved with the #virtualpumpkinparty I’m super excited to be sitting down and look through them all :)
Kym
xx
I would LOVE to trade you risotto for some sweet treats. ;-) Thanks for joining us this year in the party!
Hi Sara, thanks again for the pumpkinpalooza invite. So many lovely recipes and blogs to visit. I’m going to try to get to them all.
Your Risotto looks fabulous.
Happy day.
Thanks Lisa! Good luck getting to all of the recipes – there are so many! :-)
Sara, thank you so much for organizing the Virtual Pumpkin Party! SO many amazing recipes! I love how you turned this flavorful risotto into arancini! A two-in-one recipe. :)
Thanks Wendy! I love a good 2-in-1 situation. ;-)
Leftover risotto -> arancini??? GENIUS!
Thank you so much for putting everything together again for this year’s #VirtualPumpkinParty!!! I’m having so much fun today reading what everyone’s come up with. You are seriously the best, Sara<3
Thanks Courtney!!! This pumpkin party is so epic, I don’t know how I’ll ever get to all of the posts. :-D
Ah I too love when I make savory dinner or lunch recipe for the blog! It doesn’t happen as often as it could…. but I just love baking too much!
This pumpkin party is INSANE Sara, again. So fun :-)
Haha yeah making savory stuff is way easier (kind of) since you can just factor recipe-testing into dinner time. But like you, I just love baking and sweets too much. Oh well! ;-)
Oh man, I love risotto. I’ve made it only twice, and yeah, it takes for-ev-er!!! I am definitely checking out Veetee. And thank you so much for putting this together, I am loving seeing everyone’s recipes!!
Oh yes I hope you can get your hands on some Veetee Rice! It’s truly fantastic – we just used some again last night for a quick dinner with roasted veggies and a ginger-carrot sauce. It’s so great to have on hand when you just don’t have it in you to make a pot of rice.
Thank you for hosting such a fun virtual party, I’m loving everyone’s recipes! Including this one because not only does it look crazy delicious but the fact that it’s so quick and easy makes it pretty much perfect. I love ready-made rice for this reason, always so handy to have a few packets for quick meals like this.
I totally agree! Having this rice on hand has been a lifesaver. Thanks for joining in on the pumpkin fun this year. :-*
This sounds amazing! I’m trying my first savory pumpkin dish this week by making pumpkin pasta, I will need to add this to the menu though!
Ohhhh pumpkin pasta is the best! Not sure if you mean pumpkin-flavored noodles or pasta with pumpkin sauce, but either way I’m sure it will be amazing. Enjoy!
I love this recipe and the super delicious sounding arancini balls as well!! Beautiful recipe Sara! thank you so much for the virtual pumpkin party and for organizing it! :)
Thanks Amisha! So glad to have you with us this year. :-D
Love the idea of turning this into arancini balls. I love savory little bites like that. Thank you again for having me in this incredible virtual pumpkin party !!
It was my first time making arancini as well, and I loved how easy that was too! Thanks for being a part of this pumpkin palooza ;-)
Thank you for organizing such an epic party! This recipe is reminding me that it’s been way too long since we’ve had risotto, and arancini is our favorite way to enjoy any leftovers too (if it lasts that long, hehe)!
Ha! Yeah you have to remember to keep some leftovers to make this arancini. ;-) I definitely need to try some “real” risotto soon. Enjoy!
Happy #VirtualPumpkinParty!!! This recipe looks super tasty :) I don’t mind making risotto from scratch, but this quick method is definitely interesting. Need to pick up a couple packages of the rice for the pantry! Thanks again for organizing.
Thanks Brandon! I bet you make a killer risotto. Thanks for being a part of this epic party again. :-)
love this quick risotto with all the PLANTS! and toasted pecans for that extra crunch.
genius idea with the leftovers. how fun to serve for a party. like this epic one you threw today! all the love. xo
Thanks Amanda! I did try to shove some greens and whatnot into this risotto .. I kept increasing the amount of kale I used. It adds a nice green flavor and of course I love those pops of color it adds to the dish. Thanks for joining in! xoxo
A FALL BLANKET OF TASTINESS. YES.
This look beautiful Sara! So cozy and wonderfully creative, especially with the use of the leftovers!!!
Thanks for hosting this wonderful event again, it’s such a fun time! Totally made my Monday <3
Thanks Erica, it totally made my Monday too! xoxo
incredible round up this year Sara! I love the idea for this risotto. Quick risotto does sound kind of dangerous to my risotto loving soul though… I think the amount of work it takes to make traditional risotto is what keeps my obsession in control…I might be in serious trouble now, hehe
Haha I can see how the time factor would be a mechanism to keep you from eating too much of it …. that’s how I am with most desserts. :-) (But yet I still find the time to make a lot of them …. haha). Thanks for the love, and I still owe you an email! xoxo
Woohoo! This risotto looks divine. I’ve actually never made risotto before either, so I’m thinking yours is the best place to start! Thanks for hosting such an awesome pumpkin celebration!! xoxo
Thanks Tessa! This recipe really is a great place to start if you’ve never made it before. Thanks for joining in!
YUM! thanks again for inviting me to participate!
Of course!! xoxo
This risotto looks amazing, Sara! Such a creative savory recipe for fall :) Thanks again for inviting me to this year’s pumpkin party!!
Thanks Sarah :-) And thanks for joining in!
Thanks for organizing such a great pumpkin party!
My pleasure! ;-)
Omg, arancini!!!! So loving this recipe right now!!!
Haha thank you!!! xoxo
Another fantastic year! Your recipe for 2016 sounds like a huuuuuge hit! Thanks again for putting everything together Sara! This year was a blast!
Thanks so much Katrina!!! I had a blast as well. :-D
I made risotto for the first time on for a Valentine’s dinner…if I can do it, so can you! Though I love this quick version and the addition of pumpkin even more. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for putting this together. It’s been so much fun! :)
Thanks Stephanie! I’ll definitely try a real risotto sometime soon. Thanks for the pep talk ;-)
Arancini are my favorite to make for the holidays! I always stayed true to the typical Italian version, but I love this idea of using a wild rice blend and pumpkin. Awesome recipe!
Thanks Emily! I hope you get a chance to try it out this season. :-)
How did you never come to one of my risotto dinners in college?? I made it almost every week! It’s totally not as scary as you think – you are a way better cook then me and probably actually measure things. I think measuring is overrated.
I have no idea!! That makes me so sad now. I was probably too busy in the senior studio or something. :-\ Measuring is definitely overrated when it comes to “cooking,” but I’m all about it when it comes to baking. As long as you know when to care and when not to care, you’re good to go. ;-)