Butternut Squash Risotto

This creamy Butternut Squash Risotto is the perfect comfort dish. Creamy rice is combined with pureed squash in this comforting recipe.

Butternut squash is a staple at our house every fall and winter. Some of our other favorite butternut squash recipes are this Stuffed Butternut Squash and this Butternut Squash Pasta.

Risotto is one of those dishes that make me feel super fancy, but it’s actually pretty easy to make. It’s not a dish that I grew up with, but it’s one of my favorites today.

And this version is perfect for fall or winter because it contains one of my favorite ingredients – butternut squash! This is the perfect comforting meal to make you feel all warm and cozy when it’s cold outside!

Ingredients

• Butternut Squash: I always use a fresh butternut squash. If you want to make it a little easier, you can buy cubed butternut squash and roast that. Or if your grocery store sells pureed butternut squash (it’s usually in the freezer section) that will make it even easier. You only need a small butternut squash – mine in the photos is quite large, but you can always save the rest of the squash for another recipe.
• Chicken Broth: The chicken broth adds a lot of flavor. I actually like to use chicken stock. If you want to make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken.
• Olive Oil: This is to sauté the onions and garlic – you can sub in another cooking oil, if desired.
• Onion & Garlic: These both add lots of flavor. I even like to add in extra garlic.
• Rice: You need a special kind of rice called arborio rice to make risotto. It is a short grain rice that is very starchy, which helps to make the creamy risotto. I feel like it’s pretty easy to find at most grocery stores.
• Nutmeg: I love to add a little bit of freshly grated nutmeg to bring in some warmth.
• Salt and Pepper: Do not underestimate the power of salt and pepper. If your risotto tastes bland, add more salt.
• Cheese: I’ll admit that with the price of groceries, I’ve been buying the cheaper block of parmesan at the grocery store lately. But for this, I splurged and bought the real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. I feel like this is a dish where it really shines. That being said, as long as it is freshly grated, any Parmesan cheese should work.
• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter.
• Sage: A bit of fresh sage served on top of the risotto really adds in some great flavor. Feel free to leave it off if you aren’t a sage fan, though.

How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto

1: Cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet (I like to add foil for easy clean up) and roast until the squash is tender.

2: Let the squash cool a bit, then scoop it from the skin. Place in a food processor and process until it is smooth. Measure out 12 oz. of the squash, and reserve the rest for another recipe. (My butternut squash bread is a favorite!)

3: Combine the chicken broth with a cup of water, and heat it over medium heat. Once it is hot, turn the heat down.

4: In a large pot, (I like to use my Dutch Oven), heat the oil, then cook the onions until tender. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds.

5: Add the rice and stir around for a few minutes to toast the rice.

6: Start adding in the hot broth, a ladleful at a time. Stir the rice until the liquid has been absorbed before adding more liquid.

7: Continue to add the liquid a little bit at a time until the rice is tender and the dish is nice and creamy.

8: Stir in the squash, then season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

9: Turn off the heat and stir in the butter until melted.

10: Stir in the cheese to finish it off.

Make sure to taste the risotto and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Tips and Tricks

• Don’t be impatient and add too much liquid at once. You want to add it slowly. But even with adding the liquid slowly, it should only take you about 20 minutes total.
• You don’t have to super crazy with stirring constantly. But you don’t want to walk away and let it sit, either.
• Before adding the butternut squash, I like to taste the risotto to make sure the rice is cooked enough for me. I know some people like it really al dente, but I prefer the rice to be fairly soft. Add more liquid, if you need to.
• I don’t love leftover risotto as I feel like it gets pretty gluey, and the squash in this recipe tends to make it even more so. But if you do have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. And if you are feeling adventurous, you can turn those leftovers into arancini!

More Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Chili with Beef
Butternut Squash and Sage Pizza
Sausage and Butternut Squash Slab Pie
Roasted Butternut Squash with Pasta and Brown Butter
Curried Butternut Squash Soup

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Butternut Squash Risotto

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

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This creamy Butternut Squash Risotto is the perfect comfort dish. Creamy rice is combined with pureed squash in this comforting recipe.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 small butternut squash
• ▢ 5-6 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 small onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 2 cups arborio rice
• ▢ Freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• ▢ Fresh sage slivered

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Slice the butternut squash in half through the long side. Set both halves cut side up on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast in the oven until the squash is tender. (This could be more or less time, depending on the size of your squash. You can check to see if it is done by piercing it with a fork. It will be soft when it is done.) Remove from the oven and allow the squash to cool.
• When the squash is cool, scoop the flesh and place in a food processor. Process until smooth. Weigh out 12 oz of the puree. Reserve the remaining squash for another recipe.
• Heat the chicken broth and the water in a saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, turn the heat down to low.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the rice and toast, stirring, for 3 minutes.
• Add 2 ladlefuls of the warm broth to the pan and stir until the broth evaporates. Repeat with the remaining broth, cooking until the risotto is creamy. This will take about 20 minutes. 
• During the last few minutes of cooking, add the butternut squash puree. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the butter and the cheese and stir to combine. Serve topped with the sage.

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of recipe, Calories: 387kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 47g (16%), Protein: 14g (28%), Fat: 13g (20%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 33mg (11%), Sodium: 164mg (7%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 1g (1%)

Keywords: butternut squash risotto, risotto recipe