This risotto boasts a luscious, creamy texture that makes it perfect for a snug autumn evening at home.
Dried porcini mushrooms add deep, earthy richness, while sautéed fresh mushrooms and Italian chicken sausage bring hearty texture, protein, and savory depth.
Pumpkin purée adds a touch of sweetness, creating a balanced dish that’s comforting and wholesome. This luxuriant dish manages to fuse healthy cooking elements with a foodie sensibility.
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What you'll love about this dish
- Amazing flavor yet low in calories
- Tastes indulgent, but offers a wealth of health-boosting qualities
- The stirring part of risotto isn't as bad as you think (doesn't have to be constant, just frequent).
Ingredients
- Dried porcini mushrooms
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh mushrooms
- Italian chicken sausages
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Arborio rice, or Carnaroli
- Vegetable broth
- Pumpkin purée
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Dried (dehydrated) porcini mushrooms (affiliate link): You only need a small amount of this pricey ingredient, which is rehydrated in boiling water. These mushrooms (and the water they are soaked in) are essential to the rich, earthy flavor of the dish.
🍄🟫Fresh mushrooms: Use any of the following: cremini, button, oyster, shiitake. I particularly enjoy hearty cremini, also called baby bella mushrooms.
🐔Italian chicken sausages: They give the risotto a protein boost, so it's savory and satiating. Check the sodium content on the label. If possible, use sausages with 250 mg or less per link. Look for the Thin n Trim brand for less sodium.
🌿Rosemary and thyme: The recipe calls for fresh, but feel free to substitute dried if you're, ahem, fresh out.
Shallot: These alliums taste slightly less sharp than onions, but you can swap in some chopped onions if you don't have a shallot.
Arborio rice: This type of rice is usually not hard to find. Carnaroli is a fine substitute. Please don't rinse either of them!
Vegetable broth: I choose low sodium, which is better for you but still has flavor. (For the best health and flavor, make your own!) If you use no salt varieties, you may want to add more salt to the recipe. Chicken broth is fine, too.
🎃Pumpkin purée: The texture can be thick or loose, depending on the brand. Homemade purée from roasted or boiled pumpkin is awesome. Just be sure it's is not too watery.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese: The authentic Parm from Italy (affiliate link) will have more flavor than Parmesan that is domestically produced. That said, just make sure to use a high-quality brand.
Please don't use the stuff in green cans. 😿
Amounts, full ingredient details, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to Make
Wash your hands, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water for 20 seconds, before starting.
This is not a difficult recipe, but it is not straightforward since a couple of preparatory steps are necessary.
First, pour a cup of boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Set them aside to soak and soften as you continue with the recipe. I like to use an electric kettle (affiliate link) for this.
Heat a Tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet (non-stick if possible). Toss the sliced mushrooms, chopped sausage, and rosemary into it and sauté until the sausage is slightly browned and the mushrooms have lost water and gotten soft.
Set the skillet aside and check the porcini mushrooms. If they seem soft, drain them in a fine mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth set over a medium bowl. (The cheesecloth catches any dirt or residue.)
Remove the cheesecloth, leaving the mushrooms in the sieve. Rinse with cool water and chop into fine bits.
In a 3-quart sauce pan (affiliate link), or cocotte (affiliate link), sauté the shallots in oil, taking care not to brown too much.
While the shallot is softening, combine the vegetable broth, mushroom liquid, and pumpkin pure in a microwave-safe vessel (affiliate link). Whisk gently to incorporate the pumpkin and then, heat in a microwave.
Cook the garlic with the shallot briefly, until fragrant. Add thyme and stir.
Add chopped, rehydrated porcinis and Arborio rice. Stir to heat and coat all with oil.
Pour two ladlefuls (affiliate link)of the hot broth mixture to the rice and bring to a boil stirring. Turn heat down to a simmer and continue to stir, being sure to scrape up any bits of browned vegetable off the bottom of the pot.
Continue stirring frequently, until the broth is nearly absorbed and a wooden spoon (affiliate link) leaves a dry mark on the bottom when dragged through the pot. Then, add another ladle of broth and continue to stir until it is absorbed.
Keep this up until the broth is used up and the rice is creamy and tender to bite but has not turned into complete mush.
Add the sauteed mushrooms and sausage pieces to the risotto, removing the rosemary. Taste the risotto and add a pinch of salt if it seems bland, but not too much.
Pour in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, stir it into the mixture and taste again for salt. Add more as desired.
Serve in large pasta or soup bowls, passing more cheese around the table.
👩🏽🍳Cooking Tips
Maybe you have this idea that risotto requires constant attention. That is not true! It does need frequent stirring, especially at key times.
🥄When the broth in the rice has simmered down, stir to prevent sticking. But, you can be more casual with the spoon when the liquid level is high. Work on making a salad, while you tend that pot.
Soaking and then rinsing the dried porcini mushrooms adds extra time, but it's worth it. This may not be a perfect weeknight dinner, but it's a fabulous meal that tells loved ones how special they are—wonderful for a snug, romantic date night.
Tasting the risotto once it reaches that oozy, creamy place is important. Ingredients vary, so you may want to add salt, pepper, fresh chopped Italian parsley, more cheese.
🧂Keep in mind the sausage will boost salt, so more sampling is necessary to find your happy place without overdoing it.
❄️Storage
Place leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. Add a little water to the cold risotto and reheat on the stovetop, stirring, or in the microwave, covered, until it reaches a temperature of 165°F.
I don't recommend freezing. It would probably turn into mush if frozen.
What makes this a healthy dish?
Risotto is sometimes a heavy dish, but this version is made with lean chicken sausage, nutrient-rich pumpkin, and olive oil (no butter), so it’s filling, loaded with flavor, and lower in calories.
Saturated fat is also low. The protein is decent at 14 grams and despite the white rice, you'll get 5 grams of fiber from oodles of mushrooms and the pumpkin.
Turn this into a meal that has about 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, by pairing with bread and a side salad topped with sliced pears and sprinkled with nuts like chopped pistachios or walnuts.
This risotto is an excellent source of iron and offers a nice bump of calcium. (Add a shower of Parmesan at the table, and it's a good source of the bone-supporting mineral.)
This recipe supports bone health, earning a Better for Bones rating from Practical Dietitians, who are a nutrition resource for strong bones.
Learn more about recipes earn bone health ratings!
The risotto also has some pumpkin nutrition, such as antioxidant beta carotene, vitamins A, C, and K, copper, and other minerals like potassium (excellent source) and magnesium.
Potassium can help with regulating blood pressure!
Nutrition Speak: A good nutrient source offers 10% to 19% of the Daily Value. An excellent source provides 20% or more.
Mushrooms
In addition to offering B vitamins for energy and vitamin D to get that calcium moving into your bones, 'shrooms have myriad nutrition benefits:
- Heart health: lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure
- Immune: activate natural killer cells and other immune cells that fight disease
- Gut health: help digestion with prebiotic beta glucan fiber that feed the microbiome, improve constipation, and produce anti-inflammatory SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids)
- Blood sugar: control rises in blood sugar control, again through beta glucan actions
- Cancer: possibly fight it with antioxidant, anti-tumor actions of beta glucans
No Gluten
Also, consider that risotto is gluten-free and a good meal for anyone with celiac disease or sensitivity to gluten proteins. However, be sure and check the label of your sausage, to be sure it is gluten-free.
Suspicious gluten-likely ingredients include starch, modified starch, bread crumbs. Also, many spices are not gluten-free. The label should say gluten-free.
If you need to be sure the meal is gluten-free, omit the sausages.
FAQ
Yes. Skip the sausage and cheese. Add a couple Tablespoons of nutritional yeast at the end for cheesy flavor.
Gentle stirring helps the rice cook evenly and release starch for that signature creamy consistency while preventing sticking or scorching.
You don't have to stir every second of the cooking time, especially when the broth level is high. If your simmer level is brisk, you will need to stir more frequently.
The creaminess comes from the starch in Arborio or Carnaroli rice. As you stir and slowly add warm broth, the starches release, creating a rich, velvety texture and not a drop of cream is needed.
I don't even add any butter or olive oil at the end of the cook time. Parmesan, especially Parmigiano-Reggiano, is enough.
Pour boiling water over dried porcinis, and soak until softened, about 20 to 30 minutes, then strain, rinse, and chop finely.
Strain the flavorful soaking liquid to catch any dirt on the mushrooms and use in place of part of the broth for a deeper, earthy taste.
I line my sieve with a cheese cloth to catch any dirt from the mushrooms that is enriching the broth.
Related recipes you may enjoy...
If you love the creamy, gluten-free comfort of risotto, my Chicken Leek Risotto is another healthy, higher protein recipe.
Perhaps you're on the hunt for pumpkin recipes? Gotcha covered with tender Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies and hearty Pumpkin Protein Waffles.
For soup lovers, this easy, creamy Pumpkin Tomato Soup with Apples is a satisfying bowl of autumn goodness!
Mushroom and pumpkin risotto
Equipment
- Cheesecloth optional
- 1 Large glass measuring cup at least 4 cups
Ingredients
- 0.5 ounce package dehydrated porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided use
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced. Use any of the following: cremini, button, oyster, shiitake.
- 2 2-ounce Italian chicken sausages, cut into small pieces and fully cooked. Look for Thin n Trim brand for less sodium.
- 1 shallot, chopped, about ½ cup
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 3 branches fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 clove garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon granulated
- 1 cup Arborio rice, or Carnaroli
- ¼ teaspoon salt, Kosher
- 2½ cups vegetable broth, low sodium. Can also use low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated. Look for authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano for best flavor.
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing with running water.
- Place dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour a cup of boiling water over them. Let them sit and rehydrate for 15 to 30 minutes while you proceed with the recipe.0.5 ounce package of dried porcini mushrooms1 cup boiling water
- Sauté sliced mushrooms and chicken sausage pieces with rosemary in a tablespoon of oil. Cook until the mushrooms have lost water and are soft and tender. Set the mushroom-sausage mixture aside.8 ounces sliced mushrooms2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 mild Italian chicken sausage links, chopped (4 ounces)
- Strain the liquid from the rehydrated mushrooms, pouring through a mesh strainer lined with a cheesecloth. Save the broth.Rinse the rehydrated mushroom and chop finely.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a deep, 3-quart pot or a cocotte. Add chopped shallot and cook briefly, taking care not to let it brown too much. While shallot is cooking, whisk together vegetable broth, mushroom broth, and pumpkin purée in a large liquid measuring cup and heat in the microwave for about 3 minutes.Add garlic to the shallots and stir briefly (30 seconds) until fragrant. 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 chopped shallot (½ cup)2½ cups vegetable broth1 cup mushroom broth (from mushroom soaking)½ cup pumpkin purée1 clove garlic, minced
- Stir in rice, porcini mushrooms, and fresh thyme coating all with oil.1 cup Arborio rice0.5 ounces rehydrated porcini mushrooms, chopped finely3 branches of fresh thyme
- Pour two ladlefuls of hot pumpkin-mushroom broth (about 1 cup) into the rice, and stir constantly until absorbed. Keep adding broth, a ladle at a time (½ cup) until the rice has reached a soft consistency, but still has some firmness.Note: Zap the broth mixture in microwave every 5 minutes or so for about 1 minute to keep it warm. You can also keep it warm in a small pot on the stovetop.
- When the risotto has reached a creamy, luscious consistency, stir in ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste the dish, and if it's extremely bland, add up to a ¼ teaspoon of Kosher salt, if desired. ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (optional)
- Remove rosemary sprigs from the mushroom sausage mixture and add it to the risotto, stirring. Taste the risotto again. Add more cheese if you think it needs a flavor or salt boost. Serve in large soup or pasta bowls and pass more cheese at the table.
Notes
Nutrition
Copyright © 2025 Jani H. Leuschel
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