Butternut Squash Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that many are intimidated to cook, but love ordering at a restaurant. I am here to tell you that making risotto at home is easy and just as delicious as coming from a famous chef. And this butternut squash risotto is one of our favorites.

What is Risotto?

Risotto is an italian rice dish. The rice is technically called arborio, which is how it will be labeled in the grocery store. Arborio rice is Italian short-grain rice named after the town it hails from, Arborio, in the Po Valley. However, present-day, it is grown all over, including in the United States.

However, there is another type called carnaroli rice, but it can be challenging to find in the states. It is less resistant to overcooking and used over arborio in many regions of Italy.

The plump, short body with a higher starch content makes it unique in its ability to soak up loads of liquid and release starches that result in the creaminess that so many people associate with risotto. In fact, while many risotto recipes do contain cream or cheese, many do not and people are often baffled by the creaminess, like this one.

Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this butternut squash risotto recipe. You might already have some on hand.

• Butternut squash – You want this to be cut into one inch pieces. It is common to find butternut squash already cut into cubes in the produce section. They are fairly hard to chop, so this is a huge time saver!
• Arborio rice  – This is the rice you use to make risotto. It’s a short, fat grain of rice, no other rice will cook the same. Do not swap it for another type of rice.
• White onion – You want this to be minced. Alternatively, a yellow onion or shallots can also be used.
• Butter – I like to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe. You can also use olive oil.
• White cooking wine – Either sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio are safe bets for white cooking wines. If you choose to not cook with alcohol, swap out for additional vegetable broth. The alcohol content will cook off, so need to worry about guests who do not imbibe.
• Broth – You can use either vegetable broth or chicken broth. Chicken stock or vegetable stock will work as well.
• Thyme – Adding fresh herbs to this creamy risotto really takes it to the next level of sophistication. Fresh sage leaves would also be delicious.
• Kosher salt – Keep in mind that different salts measure differently. And if you used salted butter, you might be able to omit this completely. 
• Parmesan cheese – This is optional, but freshly grated parmesan cheese just adds to the creamy texture of this rice. Make sure to use a good cheese here. I like to grate me own parmesan.

Variations

There are plenty of ways to make this creamy rice your own. Here are a few suggestions.

• Squash – Instead of butternut squash, you could use sweet potatoes, or pumpkin to make a pumpkin risotto
• Veggies – Feel free to throw in some veggies. Add peas! I love the pop of color and texture that peas provide. Add ¾ cup frozen peas five minutes before serving. The residual heat is enough to thaw them.
• Meat – While this is a vegan butternut squash risotto as written, try adding crumbled bacon, ground sausage or anything else to add another level of sophistication and texture.
• Cheese – While we discussed that cheese or cream is not necessary to achieve a creamy risotto, you can use goat cheese instead of the parmesan for an even creamier texture.

How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto

Making delicious risotto at home may be easier than you think!

1. Prepare oven and baking sheet. Preheat oven and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Season squash. Arrange butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes, in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast squash. Roast butternut squash until soft and easily mashed with a fork.
4. Melt butter. Towards the end of the squash roasting, melt butter in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Heat broth. In a separate pan, also heat vegetable or chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat.
6. Sauté rice and onion. Add Arborio rice and onion to melted butter. Sautéing until light brown.
7. Add wine. Pour white cooking wine into browned Arborio rice, stirring well until all liquid is absorbed.
8. Mash squash and add to rice. Mash butternut squash with the bask of a fork until it resembles mashed potatoes. Add this to your Arborio rice before you start adding broth, stir well. Add whole fresh thyme sprigs.
9. Slowly add hot stock. One cup at a time, add broth to Arborio rice, stirring well and waiting until all liquid is absorbed before each addition.
10. Rice should be al dente and creamy. When all broth is added, risotto will be creamy and look like rice pudding.
11. Season and add cheese. Season with Kosher salt as desired and stir in Parmesan cheese, if desired

Tips for Perfect Risotto

Risotto is different from other preparations of rice. For others the goal is to prevent starch from releasing, resulting in plump little grains. For risotto, our goal is to do the opposite, we want to release as much starch as possible. This is what makes it creamy.

1. Add ins last. For many risottos, this one included, the add-ins are incorporated last. Since the rice cooks for so long and is being stirred constantly, many of the items would start to deteriorate during the process. This also gives you the opportunity to season elements differently resulting in building layers of flavors instead of something that is single note.
2. Add liquid slowly. To do this, the liquid needs to be added in stages and the rice needs to be agitated (stirred). Adding all the liquid at once will overwhelm the grains, but adding it slowly and allowing it to fully absorb between additions results in creamy perfection.
3. Even heating. Perhaps more important than adding the liquid in stages is even heating. I’ve had a few risotto catastrophes because of uneven burners- gas and electric. I like to use a dutch oven. Make sure you keep it on low heat.
4. Hot broth. Another trick is to heat the broth. If you add cold, or even room temperature broth, it will also reduce the temperature of the whole pan each time it is incorporated, taking even more time to cook and making steam.

What to Serve with Butternut Squash Risotto

This is usually served as a side dish. We like to pair it with a main course like salmon, chicken or pork chops.

Serve this vegan risotto alongside another veggie like brussels sprouts to make the perfect meal.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Risotto

Store any leftover risotto in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to five days.

Can I Freeze Butternut Squash Risotto?

Freezing risotto is generally not recommended because it can cause the rice to become hard and grainy rather than soft.

More Recipes that use Squash

We love all kinds of squash in our house- especially during fall! Here are some of our favorite recipes that use it.

Side Dishes

Maple Walnut Roasted Acorn Squash

4.67 from 45 votes

Pastas

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

4.86 from 14 votes

Side Dishes

Baked Pecan Thyme Acorn Squash

5 from 6 votes

Butternut Squash Risotto

4.85 from 19 votes

Butternut Squash Risotto is an easy side dish or entrée made with Arborio rice, crisp white cooking wine, sweet roasted butternut squash and fresh thyme. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Equipment

• Potato Masher
• Rimmed Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash , cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons white onion , minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 5 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese , optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes, in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.
• Roast butternut squash for 25-35 minutes, or until soft and easily mashed with a fork.
• Towards the end of the squash roasting, melt butter in a large heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat.
• Also heat vegetable or chicken broth in a saucepan over low heat.
• Add Arborio rice and onion to melted butter. Sautéing until light brown.
• Pour white cooking wine into browned Arborio rice, stirring well until all liquid is absorbed.
• Mash butternut squash with the bask of a fork until it resembles mashed potatoes. Add this to your Arborio rice before you start adding broth, stir well. Add whole fresh thyme sprigs.
• One cup at a time, add broth to Arborio rice, stirring well and waiting until all liquid is absorbed before each addition.
• When all broth is added, risotto will be creamy and look like rice pudding.
• Season with Kosher salt as desired and stir in Parmesan cheese, if desired.
• Remove thyme sprigs.
• Serve immediately.
• If you tried this recipe, please come back and let us know how it was!

Notes

*It is common to find butternut squash already cut into cubes in the produce section. They are fairly hard to chop, so this is a huge time saver!

Nutrition

Calories: 380 kcal, Carbohydrates: 64 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 4 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 1332 mg, Potassium: 519 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 7565 IU, Vitamin C: 30 mg, Calcium: 153 mg, Iron: 4 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Anne

Calories: 380

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: butternut squash risotto

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