This hearty, fall-friendly sweet potato risotto is the ultimate cozy side dish or weeknight main dish.
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What Is Sweet Potato Risotto?
Sweet potato risotto is a variation of the popular Italian grain dish consisting of al dente rice enveloped in a velvety sweet potato sauce. In addition to cheese and broth, risotto gleans its creamy consistency from Arborio rice—a rounded, short-grain white rice with high-starch content. The addition of the subtly sweet roasted potatoes makes this risotto variation a great comfort food dish to enjoy during the fall season.
6 Tips for Making Sweet Potato Risotto
Follow these simple tips to craft the best sweet potato risotto possible:
- 1. Use a narrow pot. When cooking risotto, the grains of rice need to maintain near-constant contact with each other to release their creamy starches. Using a pot that is too wide or large will lead to unevenly cooked rice.
- 2. Heat your stock. Warm the vegetable broth in a small saucepan before adding it to the rice. Using chilled or room-temperature stock will cool the ingredients down and interfere with the cooking process.
- 3. Add the stock slowly. Adding the liquids (like veggie stock or sweet potato purée) to the rice in small portions allows the grains to absorb the ingredients slowly, making the dish extra creamy. Wait until the rice completely absorbs each portion of stock before adding more.
- 4. Watch the risotto as it cooks. A good rule of thumb for making risotto is to watch it as it cooks, stirring sparingly to aerate it and prevent the bottom from burning. Stirring your risotto too much can make it gummy and porridge-like. However, under-stirring the risotto may lead it to burn in the pan.
- 5. Cook the rice al dente. Overcooking this stovetop dish will result in a porridge-like texture, rather than a chewy, creamy texture. Taste the rice periodically throughout the cooking process until al dente, then remove the pot from the heat. The residual heat will continue to cook the risotto.
- 6. Store properly. Leftover sweet potato risotto will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Creamy Sweet Potato Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
25 mintotal time
1 hr 45 mincook time
1 hr 20 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- 2
Arrange the sweet potato cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and stir to coat evenly.
- 3
Season the sweet potatoes with salt and pepper.
- 4
Roast the sweet potatoes in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- 5
Remove the pan from the oven, and use a spatula or tongs to transfer the potatoes into a blender or food processor.
- 6
Add 2 cups of vegetable broth to the blender and blend the ingredients until they form a smooth purée. Set the sweet potato purée aside.
- 7
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the remaining stock to a low simmer, then reduce to medium-low heat.
- 8
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter.
- 9
Add the shallots to the melted butter and sauté until translucent, about 1–2 minutes.
- 10
Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
- 11
Add the Arborio rice to the pan and stir to coat. Toast the rice for 4–5 minutes until golden brown.
- 12
Add the white wine to the Arborio rice mixture, stirring until the rice absorbs all of the liquid.
- 13
Ladle a ½ cup of the hot vegetable stock and a ½ cup of the sweet potato purée into the Arborio rice mixture. Stir the mixture until the rice has absorbed all of the stock. Continue adding the remaining stock and sweet potato purée to the pan, a ½ cup at a time, until the rice has fully absorbed all of the liquid.
- 14
Stirring frequently, cook the rice for about 20–25 minutes, incrementally adding stock and purée until the rice is tender but al dente.
- 15
Remove the pot from the heat.
- 16
Stir in the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.
- 17
Serve the risotto immediately with additional Parmesan cheese.
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