Here’s an easy, delicious recipe for Butternut Squash Risotto.
Risotto is a nice, comforting dinner. It’s creamy and delicious. And it’s totally filling. So all you need is a bowl to fill you up, and if you want to add a little side salad to complete your dinner then that’s a good idea too. Butternut Squash Risotto is filled with the great fall flavor of butternut squash.
How to make Butternut Squash Risotto:
First, you’ll put your broth (chicken or vegetable) in a saucepan on a stove to keep it warm. Then you’ll sauté onion with salt and pepper for a few minutes before adding fresh sage, garlic and butternut squash. The butternut squash is shredded in this risotto (you can use a box grater). You’ll cook the squash until it begins to soften. Then the rice is added in and then the wine. Once the wine has been absorbed, you’ll add in the broth 1/2 cup at a time- waiting each time until the broth has been absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.
It’s important during the process of adding the broth that you only stir the risotto occasionally and not too often. Stirring too much will give the risotto too much movement and can result in a sticky consistently.
Once all of the broth has been absorbed and the risotto is tender, the pot is then removed from heat and the Parmesan cheese is stirred in.
Here’s how Butternut Squash Risotto should look if it has been cooked correctly. It looks like creamy rice that has butternut squash mixed in.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RISOTTO:
- Use warm broth to add to the risotto. It will keep the temperature in the cooking process hot. If you use cold broth, every time you add the broth to the rice then the temperature will have to re-adjust.
- Stir often during the cooking process to create a creamy risotto. But don’t stir too much or it will end up with a sticky, pasty consistency. Not stirring enough will result in the rice sticking to the pan and risk burning.
- The rice should be cooked to al dente instead of mushy.
- Choose a pot that fits perfectly over your stove’s burner to distribute the heat evenly. A wide pot won’t have even heat.
- Cook risotto at a medium simmer.
- Stir in cheese after the risotto is done cooking.
Butternut Squash Risotto is one of my favorite meals to make in the fall. It’s a wonderful bowl of comfort on a chilly night.
Making risotto does take a bit of tending to, but it’s rewarding to taste the results. Enjoy!
Here are a few more recipes using butternut squash:
- Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
- Butternut Squash Cheddar Gratin with Rosemary Breadcrumbs
- Butternut Squash Spread on Baguette Slices
- Pumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Charcuterie Board
- Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Salad
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Kale Salad with Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable, if vegetarian)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 small butternut squash (peeled and grated) -about 4 cups
- 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Warm the broth in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the squash and garlic and cook until the squash begins to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring occasionally and waiting until it is absorbed before adding more. It should take about 30 minutes for all of the broth to be absorbed.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Spoon into individual bowls.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE, just be sure to use a brand of broth that is known to be GF.
- To grate butternut squash, rub the peeled squash against the large holes of a box grater, or roughly chop it, then pulse it in a food processor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
