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Home » easy » Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto

Published: Oct 7, 2018 · Modified: Oct 29, 2020 by Louisa Clements · This post may contain affiliate links

This post may contain affiliate links

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52 minutes 5 Comments

 Celebrate the fall with a delicious and creamy butternut squash risotto with fresh sage. This recipe was originally posted October 7, 2018.

Celebrate the fall with a delicious and creamy butternut squash risotto. | livinglou.com

I love cooking with squash in the fall because it is so versatile. I have always found that squash is a little sweet for my palette, so I like to include it in dishes where it’s balanced out by something more bitter or acidic.

While I wouldn’t consider risotto to be bitter or acidic, I find that the acidity from the white wine that gets added when you begin cooking the rice is the perfect balance for the squash. I also find cutting my squash into small cubes works well so that you have a little taste of squash in every bite, but it’s not just a bite with a big chunk of squash.

It’s a science, clearly.

Celebrate the fall with a delicious and creamy butternut squash risotto. | livinglou.com

This risotto cooks in the same way as a typical risotto, using the same technique as my mushroom and spinach risotto, but the butternut squash gets added at the same time as the onion so that it has time to cook.

Some recipes will call for cooking the butternut squash first, but I found this technique works even better because the squash has time to caramelize in the butter.

The sage, butter and parmesan get added at the end. When using fresh herbs in a dish, you typically will want to add them near the end because they are more delicate–dried herbs will hold up better to cooking over longer periods of time.

Can I use dried sage in place of fresh sage?

If you are thinking about using dried sage in this recipe, I’d use about ½ a teaspoon, and add it at the same time as you add the white wine. But really, if you can get your hands on fresh sage that would 100% be the better option.

Butternut squash risotto in a colourful bowl with a fresh sage garnish.

Butternut Squash Risotto

Author: Louisa Clements
5 from 5 votes
Celebrate the fall with a delicious and creamy butternut squash risotto with fresh sage.
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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 37 minutes
Total: 52 minutes
servings icon
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 small onions, diced
  • 2 cups diced butternut squash
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ¼ cup parmesan
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh sage
  • freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add broth and bring to a very low simmer.
  • Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, butternut squash and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of squash soften and onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook another minute until garlic is very fragrant. Add arborio rice and salt, stir to coat the rice and slightly toast, about one minute. The risotto will be very dry at this point. Add wine, stirring to deglaze any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook until liquid is fully absorbed and evaporated, another 1-2 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and add warm broth ½ cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. Continue adding broth in ½ cup additions for 25-30 minutes and stirring every couple of minutes until rice is cooked al-dente (it should have a slightly firm bite), the risotto is creamy and squash is tender.
  • Remove from heat, add parmesan, butter and sage. Serve with freshly cracked pepper.
Did you try this recipe?Leave a comment + rating and let me know what you think!
Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, easy, gluten free, vegetarian
Nutrition Facts
Butternut Squash Risotto
Amount Per Serving
Calories 435 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 13mg4%
Sodium 394mg17%
Potassium 553mg16%
Carbohydrates 67g22%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 5110IU102%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 105mg11%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any specific dietary concerns, please consult with your healthcare practitioner.

Let me know if you give this butternut squash risotto a try in the comments below.

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Comments

  1. Jess

    May 25, 2022 at 1:06 am

    This was delicious! Winter is approaching and it really satisfied our cold bellys, lol. Thank you for sharing your recipe. :)
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      July 16, 2022 at 10:27 am

      So glad you enjoyed this, Jess! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
      Reply
  2. Aar1

    September 13, 2020 at 10:30 pm

    Just made this for our first transition-to-fall dinner! Loved it thanks!
    ★★★★★

    5 stars

    Reply
    • Louisa Clements

      September 14, 2020 at 11:45 am

      So glad you enjoyed this, thank you for letting me know! :)
      Reply

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Hi, I'm Louisa Clements & welcome to Living Lou. I've been creating simple, fresh & flavorful recipes for the modern kitchen for 12 years.
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