Baked rice with pumpkin, mushrooms, and taleggio is the main dish (or a complete meal) that could become your ultimate autumn comfort food, perfect for special occasions like Sundays or festive days.
Creamy, cheesy, and flavorful, it’s a real treat for the whole family. The combination of pumpkin, mushrooms, and taleggio is out of this world!
The process for preparing it will follow that of a classic risotto, kept slightly al dente and a bit more ‘liquid’ because it will finish cooking in the oven, creating a wonderful crust on top.
Below you’ll find the recipe written in detail, along with the COMPLETE VIDEO, very useful for any of your doubts.
Here are some other of my recipes with pumpkin as the star:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients for RISOTTO WITH PUMPKIN, MUSHROOMS, AND TALEGGIO
- 1.1 lbs Carnaroli rice
- 1.1 lbs delica pumpkin (about half a medium-sized pumpkin)
- 14 oz mushrooms (I use champignons)
- 11 oz Taleggio (or other soft or stringy cheese)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp butter (cold)
- 0.85 cup béchamel sauce
- 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 sprig rosemary
- Half onion (chopped)
- to taste chopped parsley
Tools for preparing BAKED RICE WITH PUMPKIN, MUSHROOMS, AND TALEGGIO
- Pan non-stick
- Pot non-stick
- Baking Dish approximately 8×10 inches
- Small Pot for the broth
Steps to prepare BAKED RICE WITH PUMPKIN, MUSHROOMS, AND TALEGGIO
First, take care of the mushrooms: clean them well, give them a quick rinse to remove any remaining dirt, and slice them into slices about two millimeters thick.
In a non-stick pan heat a drizzle of oil, then add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and add chopped parsley to taste; give a first stir and let it cook over medium heat for about ten minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and the cooking water has completely evaporated.
Set aside and proceed to prepare the pumpkin risotto.
In a high-sided non-stick pot heat two to three turns of oil, sauté for a few seconds about two tablespoons of chopped onion then add the pumpkin (delica or butternut) cut into cubes about two centimeters.
Salt, pepper and let the pumpkin flavor well, stirring it for a couple of minutes with a ladle.
At this point, add a nice sprig of rosemary and pour a glass of water, stir and let the pumpkin cook for about fifteen minutes, until the water has completely evaporated.
At this point, move the rosemary sprig into the saucepan with the boiling vegetable broth and pour the rice into the pot with the pumpkin; stir for about half a minute to toast it a bit, then pour in two to three ladles of broth, continuing to stir.
Proceed adding the broth with a ladle as it is absorbed by the rice, continuing to stir very often and turning off the heat a couple of minutes before according to the cooking time of the rice indicated on its package. Keep the risotto a bit more ‘liquid’ than you would for a normal risotto.
Proceed with the creaming of the risotto: add the cold butter, stir vigorously to melt it completely and quickly, then also add the grated Parmesan.
Continuing to stir, add the mushrooms and the béchamel sauce.
As for the béchamel, if you buy it ready-made, add some milk a little at a time until reaching a fairly liquid consistency, like the one you see in my VIDEO.
Now take the oven-proof baking dish about 8×10 inches and pour in half of the risotto; level it well and distribute the taleggio sliced on top. Then cover with the other half of the risotto, sprinkle the surface with plenty of grated Parmesan and finally bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for about 30 minutes.
Let it rest for a few minutes before serving, and here is your BAKED RICE WITH PUMPKIN, MUSHROOMS, AND TALEGGIO, creamy inside and with a delicious crust on the surface.
Tips, storage, and variations
If you serve your baked rice within a few minutes of taking it out of the oven, you’ll have a risotto that is creamy and cheesy inside as you can see in the video; if you prefer more of a ‘timballo’ effect like the one you see in the picture, serve it after letting it rest longer or the next day, previously reheated.
Baked rice with pumpkin, mushrooms, and taleggio keeps for one day in the refrigerator in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap.
You can replace the mushrooms with sausage, previously cooked in a pan.
You can turn pumpkin risotto into saffron risotto by simply omitting the pumpkin and adding saffron halfway through the rice cooking.
Of course, you can replace taleggio with any other stringy or soft cheese, such as provola, brie, pizza mozzarella.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What can I substitute the mushrooms with?
You can use sausage instead of mushrooms, previously cooked in a pan.
How can I replace the pumpkin?
You can use the same procedure for any risotto, such as saffron risotto, perhaps filled with cooked ham and provola.
