Prepare the Oven and Ingredients

• Preheat the oven to375°F (190°C).
• Warm the vegetable broth in a saucepan or microwave.
• Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and crumble the goat cheese.

Sauté the Aromatics

• Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe Dutch oven or deep baking dish over medium heat.
• Add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened.
• Stir in the minced garlic, dried thyme, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

Toast the Rice

• Add the Arborio rice to the pot and stir for 1–2 minutes, coating the grains with the oil and aromatics.
• Pour in the white wine, if using, and stir until mostly absorbed. For an alcohol-free version, simply use additional vegetable broth.

Add the Pumpkin and Broth

• Stir in the pumpkin purée until the rice is evenly coated.
• Pour in the warm vegetable broth and mix well.
• Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat.

Bake the Risotto

• Cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid or cover the baking dish securely with foil.
• Transfer to the oven and bake for35–45 minutes, stirring once halfway through if possible.
• Check the rice near the end of cooking. It should be tender but still have a slight bite, with most of the liquid absorbed.

Make It Creamy

• Remove the risotto from the oven and stir in the butter and grated Parmesan.
• Gently fold in most of the goat cheese, reserving a little for the topping.
• If the risotto seems too thick, add a splash of warm vegetable broth until it reaches a creamy consistency.