Gordon Ramsay’s pumpkin risotto is sweet, earthy and golden, made with a silky pumpkin purée stirred through Arborio rice, roasted pumpkin chunks folded in for bite, wild rocket for a peppery kick, and crispy fried sage leaves with sage butter spooned over the top. It’s an autumn dish that makes the kitchen smell incredible, ready in about 45 minutes.
The recipe comes from Sunday Lunch, where he writes “I love making this risotto towards the end of autumn when pumpkins are ripe and flavourful.” He also makes it on The F Word, where he adds wild rocket directly into the risotto for what he calls “that really nice peppery flavour.” None of the cookbook versions mention the rocket, so it’s a detail you only get from watching him cook it.
The technique that separates his version from everyone else’s is the no-lid rule when sweating the pumpkin. On The F Word he explains that a lid traps steam and makes it watery: “I don’t want it watery. You put a lid on that now you just got a watery pumpkin.” That one small decision is why restaurant pumpkin risotto tastes concentrated while most home versions taste thin.
Gordon Ramsay Pumpkin Risotto Recipe
Course: Dinners, RisottoCuisine: British, ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes35
minutes390
kcal45
minutesA warm autumn risotto with a silky pumpkin purée stirred through, roasted chunks for bite, wild rocket and crispy sage leaves with sage butter. From Sunday Lunch and The F Word. About £1.60 per person.
Ingredients
500g pumpkin (iron bark or crown prince, not Halloween), peeled and cut into chunks
Olive oil and a knob of butter, for sweating
1 onion, finely diced
250g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
800ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
50g butter, plus extra for sage butter
56g Parmesan, finely grated, plus shavings to serve
Small handful of sage leaves
Handful of wild rocket
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Sweat the pumpkin: Roughly dice two-thirds of the pumpkin. Heat olive oil and a knob of butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook WITHOUT a lid for 5-7 minutes until soft. Ramsay says on The F Word that a lid traps steam and makes it watery.
- Make the purée: Transfer the hot pumpkin straight to a blender and blitz until smooth. Do this while it’s still hot so it blends fine. If you let it cool it goes lumpy.
- Prep the chunks: Finely dice the remaining one-third of the pumpkin and roast at 180°C for 15-20 minutes until golden. Set aside.
- Build the risotto: Sweat the onion in olive oil until lightly coloured. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring until each is absorbed. Keep going for 16-18 minutes.
- Check for al dente: Look at the centre of a rice grain. Ramsay says “always look for that little white bit in the centre. When you can’t see that, forget it, bin it.”
- Finish: Stir through the pumpkin purée, then the roasted chunks. Add the Parmesan and wild rocket, then work the butter in off the heat. Season and serve on warm plates. Shake the plate so the risotto relaxes flat.
- Sage butter topping: Melt a knob of butter in a small pan until it foams. Fry sage leaves for a few seconds until crisp. Place 2-3 whole leaves on each plate and spoon the sage butter over the top.
FAQs
What type of pumpkin should I use?
Ramsay says in Sunday Lunch that he uses “iron bark pumpkins at the restaurant” and warns that Halloween pumpkins are “too watery and stringy.” Crown prince, iron bark, or kabocha are the best options from farm shops.
If you can’t find a cooking pumpkin, he says in the same recipe that “you can use butternut squash, allowing a little longer for it to cook.” Our butternut squash risotto uses the same method if that’s easier to find.
Why blend the pumpkin while it’s hot?
On The F Word he explains that hot pumpkin “will get nice and fine” in the blender, but “if you left it to cool down it’ll go lumpy.” The fibres are still soft and loose when hot, so they break down into silk. Once it cools the starch firms up and you get a rough, grainy texture instead. Blend it straight from the pan.
How do I know when the rice is perfectly cooked?
Ramsay’s test from The F Word: “always look for that little white bit in the centre of the rice grain. When you can’t see that, forget it, bin it.” Bite into a grain and check for a tiny white speck in the middle. That speck means it still has bite. If it’s translucent all the way through, you’ve gone too far.
How much does pumpkin risotto cost per serving?
About £6.40 for four servings, so roughly £1.60 per person. Fresh pumpkin is seasonal and cheap in autumn, usually £1-2 for a good wedge from a farm shop or supermarket. Parmesan and butter are the main costs. A sticky lemon chicken alongside makes it a full autumn dinner for about £4 per person total.
Why does Ramsay add wild rocket to pumpkin risotto?
On The F Word he describes it as giving “that really nice peppery flavour” to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin. The rocket wilts slightly in the hot rice but keeps enough bite to add contrast. This isn’t in the Sunday Lunch cookbook version, so it’s a detail you only get from watching him make it on camera. Stir it through right at the end so it doesn’t go soggy.
Does pumpkin risotto store well?
The purée keeps the rice moist so it reheats better than most risottos. Keeps two days in the fridge, and the colour holds up overnight. The rocket will wilt completely though, so add a fresh handful when you reheat. Ramsay notes in Sunday Lunch that “cooked pumpkin purée freezes well,” so batch up extra when pumpkins are in season. A his chicken pie for batch cooking uses the same autumn batch-cooking approach. I’ve tested all 15 of his risotto recipes and this is the best one for autumn.
