Pumpkin and Shiitake Risotto with Crispy Sage

My lame photo doesn't do this dish justice (with the gray, rainy days of fall comes the end of good lighting). It was delicious! This creamy risotto has a very light pumpkin flavor, perfectly complemented by the sage.

Pumpkin and Shiitake Risotto with Crispy Sage
Recipe adapted from the October 2011 issue of Women's Health Magazine

4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup olive oil
10 sage leaves, plus 2 tsp minced fresh sage
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom cups (I rehydrated dried ones)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Heat broth in a saucepan until boiling then keep at a simmer on the stove top.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan until hot but not smoking. Add sage leaves and fry until crispy, about 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate
3. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the sage oil to a 4-quart saucepan and save the remaining oil for another use. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the minced sage and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is glistening and coated with oil, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and wine; cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Continue to add broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring, until liquid is evaporated after each addition and rice swells but is still ad dente, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Add pumpkin puree, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with fried sage leaves.