Stuffed and Baked Pumpkin with Sausage and Sage Risotto


One of the first things that my husband always says when he first walks in the door is Hi Honey! what’s for dinner? Today he said basically the same thing but added what is that wonderful smell coming for the oven. It’s been a while since I baked anything for dinner, it’s still in the seventies here in Arizona and it is November. Anyway, talk about putting a smile on my face.

This stuffed pumpkin is a remake of a recipe that I made about the same time last year. It’s the kind of recipe that the ingredients can be substituted for another and it will taste different every time. For example last time I used pasta, this time I made risotto. The only thing that remains the same is the pumpkin, but that could also vary depending on the size. This time I prepared the risotto first, hollowed out the pumpkin, stuffed the pumpkin and then baked it a little over an hour.

This recipe has been inspired by "Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese" by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord.

Ingredients:

1 3-pound pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (minced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 pound bulk sausage
1 teaspoon fresh sage (chopped)
12 ounces Arborio rice
4 to 4 1/2 cups chicken stock (heated)
4 ounces dry white wine
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut the top off the pumpkin, at a 45-degree angle. What you want is a round lid that you will replace after stuffing to bake in the oven. Scoop out seeds and strings. Generously salt inside of pumpkin, place in a rimmed baking dish. Set aside.

In a medium-sized heavy pot, add olive oil and onion, saute until soft, then add garlic and cook stirring constantly 1 to 2 minutes. Add sausage and sage and then break up the meat into small pieces, cook until browned. Add rice and stir until well coated. Next add the wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in one cup of the heated stock and simmer gently, stirring constantly. When the stock has been absorbed add another cup of stock, keep this up for at about 20 minutes.


*To check and see if risotto is done remove a few grains from pot and set on a cutting board, push down with thumb to smash grains, rice is done when grain smashes completely*

Stir in the cream and cheese. Taste; add salt and pepper if needed.


Stuff pumpkin, make sure it's filled to the top. You should have extra risotto, set aside for later. Put the cap in place and bake for about an hour. Remove the cap of the pumpkin the last 15 minutes or so. This dish is done when the flesh of the pumpkin is tender enough to be pierced easily with the tip of a knife. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Cut into sections, then scoop out risotto, scraping the sides. Delicious served along-side a nice green salad.

*To store: cut up remaining pumpkin after removing the skin and mix in with the extra risotto*




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Comments

  1. This is a masterpiece, Cheri! Your husband is one lucky man =) I've never made risotto but your recipe is inspiring me to make the plunge!

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  2. This sounds so good Cheri!! Risotto in pumpkin, now that's a unique recipe!!

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  3. Dinner in a Pumpkin is so festive this time of year, Cheri. I'm sure your husband was thrilled to smell the goodness as he walked through the door:)

    Thank you so much for sharing...

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  4. What a treat to come home to this for dinner! Lucky husband. It's so pretty too. The risotto stuffing sounds great, and I'd love the pasta version too.

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  5. Wow, this looks amazing. I can smell and taste it through your descriptions and photos. Your husband is one lucky guy! D

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  6. This is gorgeous!
    We love risotto..
    Thanks for the pretty idea!

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  7. Oh Yes, this looks to be well worth the effort...What won me over was the adding of pumpkin (I'm taking your suggestion of substitutions). Instead I will add buttercup squash. I have no problem reminding the mister of how luck he is to have you. BTW, what exactly is "bulb sausage"?

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    1. Hi Sandra, oops! corrected, it was supposed to be bulk. Have a nice holiday if we don't talk to you. xx

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    2. Ohhh... I didn't mean to point out a typo. I thought it was a new variety for me to learn about... I have passed this recipe on to friends to give it a try!

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    3. No worries! appreciate all the help I can get!

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  8. How lovely that as soon as he walked in he could smell something wonderful coming from the kitchen - and he commented! There's nothing better when you've been preparing something delicious in the kitchen. This is a really pretty dish and I love how this time you made it with arborio rice and sausage - what great flavours xx

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  9. Our French Fridays with Dorie group made a Pumpkin Stuffed with Everything Good about 2 years ago. I liked it but never returned to make it again. I like your whole idea of making it with risotto and cutting up the leftover pumpkin to throw into it for leftovers. Since it is snowing like mad here, very cold and icy, this might just be perfect. In Arizona, probably, not so much.

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    1. Hi Mary, no it's still in the high seventies, oh how I would love to be in the cold right now.

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  10. I was going to do the same thing with the risotto I made this week but when it was done, John was standing there waiting to eat it and the pumpkin wasn't ready. Next time! Yours is fantastic!

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    1. Probably all those wonderful smells were driving him crazy, thanks Maureen!

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  11. Deliciously warming and I love that you served it right in the pumpkin. Adorable. Love this dish!

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    1. Thanks Bam, it was delicious, but now it's back to lighter fare.

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  12. What a wonderful treat for dinner! Your husband is a lucky man.

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  13. Thanks for the tip on how to test when risotto is done. I will try that next time I make it :)

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    1. Hi Tandy, I just read about the tip online, can't remember where, but it worked great for me. Thanks!

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  14. Wow...this is a very new dish to me and sounds really nice.

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  15. Cheri, this dish looks sensational, and so pretty for serving too! Thanks for sharing!

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  16. What a cool idea! I love pumpkin risotto and the way they cook together must make the flavor amazing.

    Okay, don't you love our November weather? I am sitting in the garden now, the sun is just rising, the birds are signing and I am not cold. All is right with the world. :)

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    1. Hi David, the weather has been amazing! we really like to hike so this is perfect.

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  17. Very nice combination. It looks delicous. :)

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  18. Cheri! I love this and look absolutely beautiful!

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  19. What a perfect and festive recipe. AND...I bet it tastes great!

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  20. I'm pretty sure my husband would probably say the same thing when I have that in the oven...:) Looks totally delicious and love the presentation!

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  21. So flavorful, comforting and delicious! a great idea.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  22. Looks amazing!! I was actually looking for pumpkin recipes the other day and came across something similar- but my pumpkin was huge and I was only cooking for myself so I ended up making a sort of deconstructed version though it wasn't nearly as impressive as this! ;)

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    1. Thanks Von! I was thinking about baking a much larger one for the holidays!

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  23. this looks so fancy and homey, so perfect to tuck into during cooler evenings of autumn... though you are not experiencing that right now!

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    1. Thanks Lan, today was in the low seventies so we are getting closer to fall weather.

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  24. This looks so comforting and loaded with flavours too!

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    1. Thanks Angie, were eating salads now to make up for it.

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  25. I just love risotto and this is such a beautiful creation, Cheri! MMmm, now you've got me craving it for lunch!

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  26. This dish is worth of a starred restaurant Cheri. Great job!

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  27. Mmm, no wonder he was drawn to whatever was coming from the oven. This sounds absolutely delicious! We are in the 100s at the moment (early start to a long hot summer) but it will be worth putting the air-conditioning on to make this!

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  28. Thanks Amy, today was in the seventies so we are getting closer to winter here!

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  29. Ohhh Cheri - this is lovely! How nice you can be home to get dinner on the table for your husband. I know he must be thrilled every single day!

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  30. This is a great recipe with a great presentation! It sounds and looks delicious and I'm glad I found your blog. Thanks for the recipe!

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  31. I love the combination of pumpkin, sage and creamy comfort! This looks so good Cheri!

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  32. Great comfort food especially with the arctic freeze we are experiencing. What a stunning presentation, I can hear the oohs and aahs when this is brought to the table.

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    1. Thanks Norma, can't believe the weather you are experiencing, it's still in the seventies here!

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  33. Oh, my gosh does that risotto sound terrific! We had below zero wind chills this morning. Looks like it will be a LONG winter.

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    1. Hi Liz, I know I just can't believe the weather you guys are having, hope it does not last too long.

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  34. I can definitely understand why he was so excited about this! It has been freezing here, so I think I need a pumpkin full of this cheesy deliciousness for dinner!

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  35. this really is the best combination - ever.

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