This roasted butternut squash risotto is creamy, hearty, and delicious. It is made with Arborio rice, and infused with flavor from the succulent squash and savory sage. It makes the perfect cozy fall meal that will keep you warm and satisfied.
Labor of Love
Risotto is one of my favorite comfort meals. Every dish offers a bowl of creamy goodness topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese that melts on top. However, making risotto is a labor of love. Unlike rice, which is boiled and simmered, risotto demands patience and attention. Don’t be intimidated though! It’s worth the extra effort and time.
When preparing this recipe, the most difficult part is peeling and cutting the butternut squash. An easy shortcut is to buy pre-cut cubed butternut squash at the grocery store to save you time and effort. The rest of the recipe is easy and only requires frequent stirring and spooning in broth a little at a time. The end result is a decadent restaurant quality dish that is sure to impress your family, friends, and significant other.
What is Risotto?
Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish made from Arborio rice. Arborio rice is a short grain rice. When slow cooked in broth, Arborio rice absorbs the liquid and becomes creamy, but not mushy, due to the high starch content. Arborio rice can be found in most grocery stores in the rice aisle. Don’t be fooled and look for ‘risotto’ in the rice aisle. You want ‘Arborio rice’ to make risotto. Classic risotto recipes often contains butter, onions, garlic, white wine, broth, and parmesan cheese.
Endless variations
The best part of risotto is the variety of dishes you can make with it. Feel like having meat? Add in sausage with peas. In the mood for seafood? Marinate some shrimp and toss them in. Vegetarian? Load the risotto with spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini. You can even experiment with different sauces such as pesto or truffle oil to further enhance the flavor. The Arborio rice will take on the flavor of anything you mix in.
Spotlight on roasted butternut squash
My favorite way the prepare risotto is this roasted butternut squash recipe with fresh sage. This combination adds a subtle sweet, yet earthy autumn flavor. The butternut also adds a vibrant color and caramelized flavor unique to this squash. My last post gave a basic rundown on winter squash with instructions on how to roast butternut squash. Now we take that a step further and incorporate it into this yummy meal!
Adding the roasted butternut squash towards the end of the simmering process releases all that fall flavor by melting it into the rice. Be careful not to add it in too early or you’ll lose some of the tender yummy cubes that will melt in your mouth!
And don’t forget about the cheese!
I like to buy a block of parmigiano-reggiano or pecorino romano to hand grate on top once its done cooking. Freshly grated cheese has an intense flavor that you just can’t get from the pre-grated parmesan cheese sold in grocery stores. When you stir in the soft cheese flakes the grains stick together to form a cheesy, creamy goodness. In fact the end result is a fancy, jazzed up mac and cheese. I am obsessed with this dish and you will not be disappointed!
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, cut into ½” cubes, and roasted (refer to recipe)
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 5 cups stock chicken or vegetable
- ½-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- Fresh sage leaves rinsed & sliced thin
Instructions
- Cook the butternut squash according to the recipe.*
- While butternut squash is roasting prep all the ingredients for the risotto. In a small-medium sauce pan heat 5 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) on medium heat. Keeping the stock warm prevents the temperature from dropping each time you add it to the rice.
- In a medium saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for five minutes. Once onions are translucent and just starting to brown add the garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and stir for one minute. Add the white wine and let it cook off.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add a ladle of stock, let simmer, stirring frequently, until almost all liquid is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding a ladle of stock, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until the rice is creamy and tender. Add black pepper as you are cooking
- Taste the rice after 30 minutes of this process. The consistency of the rice should be tender with just a little bite left. Continue to add more stock as needed until the rice gets to the right consistency
- When the rice is tender, add in the roasted butternut squash, stir and simmer for five minutes (may need to add additional stock, want it creamy not dry). Take off the heat once liquid is absorbed and add the butter, parmesan cheese and sage. Stir until butter is melted and well combined.
Nutrition Facts
* Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Alternative cooking Method
Risotto in 15-20 minutes, and you don’t have to be constantly stirring? Not everyone has the instant pot so I wanted to make my recipe something everyone can make. But, if you have the instant pot it is very easy to make. Set instant pot to sauté and cook onion and garlic until translucent. Add the Arborio rice and stir for one minute. Next, add white wine and cook for two minutes. Add the stock and roasted butternut squash. Cover the pot, fasten the lid, and lock and seal the steam valve. Then set the instant pot to high pressure for 6 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally until the valve is completely up. Uncover and turn it off. Finally, add butter, parmesan cheese and sage and stir until well incorporated. I will say, I have made it both ways and enjoy the stove top more because it gets even more creamy (probably from all the stirring).
What’s your favorite risotto dish?
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
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