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Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon (Gluten Free, Lactose Free)

September 18, 2022

Hello friends!

Risotto is such a comforting dish, which I love enjoying all year round. Will the fall season and holidays around the corner, I wanted to create a risotto that could work as both a comforting fall meal and a holiday side dish.

I used arborio rice for this recipe because it is naturally gluten free, but also starchy. The starchy quality of the arborio rice is what makes the risotto creamy without using cream.

This super creamy risotto is perfect for pumpkin and risotto lovers alike! With very few ingredients, this risotto is easy to make especially since I am not using the traditional risotto making method. In the traditional way, you would add a ladle of broth or cooking liquid and stir until the liquid absorbs before adding the next ladle. While I love making risotto in the traditional way, I have found this way to be faster, making it easy to enjoy risotto even on weeknights!

The addition of pumpkin makes this risotto perfectly seasonal, and I love how the sweetness from the honey and the smokiness from the bacon really enhances the pumpkin flavour.

Check out the recipe below!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 strips of bacon chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp dairy free butter
  • 2 tsp dry thyme
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt to taste

Directions:

  1. In a deep non-stick skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat
  2. Add the onions and bacon and cook until the onions are tender, and the bacon is just starting to crisp.
  3. Add the arborio rice and season with salt.
  4. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add in the broth, and bring everything to a boil.
  6. Reduce the heat to low and cover.
  7. Cook the rice for about 25 minutes or until tender, stirring in the pumpkin puree during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  8. Add the cheese, dairy-free butter, and honey and stir to combine.
  9. Serve the pumpkin risotto immediately, garnishing with additional parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

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