Recently, we talked about seasonal dishes in class — and many of our students said that pumpkin risotto is one of their absolute favourite autumn recipes. So this felt like the perfect moment to share it with you too.
We have prepared just for you:
- a short story behind pumpkin risotto
- a complete step-by-step recipe
- useful Italian cooking vocabulary
- a video recipe
- a Wordwall activity based on cooking vocabulary
- Italian traditions linked to pumpkins
1. A little story behind pumpkin risotto
Pumpkin has deep roots in the agricultural traditions of Northern Italy. Regions like Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna have grown pumpkins for centuries thanks to their fertile land, foggy winters, and strong rural cooking culture.
In many Italian households, pumpkin dishes were a way to turn a simple, inexpensive ingredient into something warm and comforting. Pumpkin soups, baked pumpkin, pumpkin-filled pasta — and of course, pumpkin risotto.
The Italian pumpkin tradition
By the 1500s, pumpkins were already part of everyday cooking: easy to grow, easy to preserve through the winter, and perfect for hearty recipes. In the Mantua and Cremona area, pumpkin-based dishes are still celebrated through local festivals every autumn.
The art of risotto
Risotto is not just a dish — it’s a technique and a moment of quiet.
Toasting the rice, adding broth slowly, stirring patiently… it’s almost meditative.
And when pumpkin meets risotto, the result is a dish that is creamy, elegant, and deeply comforting.
2. The seasonal recipe: Pumpkin Risotto
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 320 g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 300–350 g pumpkin, peeled and diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 50 g butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 glass dry white wine
- 1 litre vegetable broth (kept hot)
- 40 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt & pepper
Optional: nutmeg, sage, toasted pumpkin seeds.
3. How to make it — step by step
1. Prepare the pumpkin
Warm the olive oil and half the butter in a pan. Add the chopped onion and let it soften gently. Add the pumpkin cubes and cook for 10 minutes until tender.
2. Toast the rice
Add the rice and let it toast for 1–2 minutes. This gives risotto its perfect texture.
3. Add the wine
Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate completely.
4. Add the broth, little by little
Add a ladle of hot broth, stir, and let it be absorbed before adding the next. Repeat for 15–18 minutes.
5. Mantecatura (final creaminess)
Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and Parmigiano.
This final step — mantecatura — makes risotto incredibly creamy.
6. Serve
Adjust salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with a touch of nutmeg or crispy sage.
4. Italian kitchen vocabulary
- affettare – to slice
- soffriggere – to sauté gently
- mescolare – to stir
- aggiungere – to add
- tostare il riso – to toast the rice
- brodo – broth
- mantecatura – the creamy final step
- dadini – small cubes
- tritare – to chop finely
5. Video recipe
Here is a clear and simple video recipe that our students often enjoy watching while they cook. It’s perfect if you want to follow each step visually.
Video credit:
GialloZafferano – Risotto alla Zucca
6. Italian traditions linked to pumpkins
Pumpkins are connected to many autumn traditions in Italy:
- Festa della Zucca in Mantua, Ferrara, and Cremona
- Tortelli di Zucca, the famous pumpkin-filled pasta from Mantua
- old rural customs of carving pumpkins before Halloween was known
- harvest festivals and seasonal markets
Pumpkin dishes mark the passage from autumn to winter and are deeply rooted in local culture.
7. Wordwall activity – Italian cooking vocabulary
Practice the Italian vocabulary from this recipe with this interactive Wordwall activity. You can use it at home or in class to review the key words.
Pumpkin risotto is more than a seasonal recipe — it’s a delicious way to experience Italian culture through flavours, vocabulary, and traditions.
And since many of our students at Il Centro love this dish, we hope you’ll try it too. Buon appetito — and enjoy practicing Italian language in the kitchen!