Creamy, comforting, and cheesy with everything you love about fall flavors… this Butternut Squash Risotto is certain to make its way on your fall-themed menu for years to come!

WHAT IS RISOTTO?

Risotto is a creamy Italian dish that is made from a short-grain rice like arborio or carnaroli. These types of rice are known for their higher starch content. When you cook the rice in stock, the starch releases and you end up with a warm, creamy dish. You can serve it as-is, or you can also enhance it with various accompaniments… the possibilities are endless!

ALL ABOUT THIS BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

For this Butternut Squash Risotto, I wanted to embrace all there is to love about fall. This side dish will bring a warm richness to any entrée you choose to serve it with. While the flavor of butternut squash is the star of the show, you’ll delight in the subtle hints of sage, rosemary, and thyme.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

EQUIPMENT

Knife
Cutting board
Two sauce pans
Baking sheet (if roasting the butternut squash)
Sauce pan or stock pot, steamer basket, and lid (if steaming the butternut squash)
Sauce pan or stock pot (if sautéing the butternut squash)
Spoon
Bowl
Potato masher, fork, or hand mixer
Cheese grater

INGREDIENTS

Cooking spray: While I tend to always use avocado oil spray because of its high smoke point, you can really use any type of cooking spray that you have on hand!
Light butter: I use Land O Lakes light butter and you really can’t taste a difference.
Shallots or onion: While I love the pop of color shallots provide, you can use onion interchangeably as well. In fact, when I went to chop my shallots as I originally intended to use, they weren’t as fresh as I had hoped, so I opted for an onion instead.
White wine: I find that a dry white wine works well for making risotto. You don’t want anything overly sweet like a riesling or a moscato. My personal favorite white wine to use when I cook risotto is a sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio. (BONUS POINTS: You only need a bit of wine to make the risotto, and then you can enjoy the rest of the bottle alongside your dinner!)
- If you don’t have white wine on hand, you can substitute the acidic component wine provides with white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, apple juice, or white grape juice.
Rice: The best rice to use when making risotto is arborio or carnaroli. These short-grain rice varieties have higher starch content, which is what helps make the risotto creamy.
Vegetable or chicken stock: Since Butternut Squash Risotto is already a vegetarian dish, I tend to opt for vegetable stock. With that being said, you can certainly not go wrong with chicken stock. The key here is to ladle it in hot to ensure that it is actually cooking the rice as you go along.
Butternut squash: There are so many options when it comes to using butternut squash in this dish! You can use fresh or frozen, and you can roast, steam, or saute it. I prefer to buy pre-cut butternut squash from the produce section of the grocery store and roast it in the oven. I find that this additional step can be easily done while the risotto is cooking, and it adds an extra element of flavor to the overall dish.
Parmesan cheese: Topping this dish off with some freshly grated parmesan cheese is the icing on the proverbial risotto cake. It adds just the right amount of salty goodness that we all love from time to time. While I enjoy keeping a wedge of authentic parmigiano reggiano cheese on hand to finish off dishes like this, you can also use any type of grated or shredded parmesan cheese that you have in your refrigerator.
Fresh herbs and seasonings: I find that fresh herbs really make this dish stand apart from the crowd. I use sage, rosemary, and thyme. If you only have dried versions of these herbs, that’s okay too! You’ll also want to have salt and pepper to season the butternut squash as well.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

As with any classic Italian dish, risotto is a labor of love. The process is not difficult by any means; in fact, once you get the hang of the technique, it’s actually quite simple. You just need to allow time and patience for everything to come together as it should to ensure that you get the best results possible. Your tastebuds will thank you later!

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPPING THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

ROASTING

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Use a knife and cutting board and cut the butternut squash into small chunks.
Spread the butternut squash on a baking sheet.
Spray the butternut squash with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.
Roast the butternut squash for 20-25 minutes until it is fork-tender.
Use a potato masher, fork, or hand mixer to mash the butternut squash until smooth.

STEAMING

In a large sauce pan or stock pot, add a steamer basket.
Fill the sauce pan or stock pot with water to just below the base of the steamer basket. Bring the water just to a boil.
Use a knife and cutting board and cut the butternut squash into small chunks.
Add the butternut squash to the steamer basket and cover with the lid.
Steam the butternut squash for 15-20 minutes until it is fork-tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
Use a potato masher, fork, or hand mixer to mash the butternut squash until smooth.

SAUTEING

Use a knife and cutting board and cut the butternut squash into small chunks.
In a sauce pan or stock pot over medium heat, sauté the butternut squash in cooking spray for 20-25 minutes until fork-tender.
Season with salt and pepper.
Use a potato masher, fork, or hand mixer to mash the butternut squash until smooth.

MAKING THE RISOTTO

While the butternut squash is roasting or steaming, you can go ahead and get started on making the risotto itself. Here’s how to do it…

In a small sauce pan, heat the stock just until boiling. Reduce the heat to simmer or low.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat, sauté the shallots or onion in cooking spray and light butter for about 2-3 minutes until they become soft and translucent.

Add the rice and stir to combine for about 1-2 minutes until it starts to look translucent.

Add the white wine and stir until it is absorbed.
Add the hot stock one cup at a time and stir frequently until it is absorbed.

Continue adding stock until the rice is cooked. You are looking for the consistency of oatmeal. The rice should be soft and chewy. You will typically add about four cups of stock total and this process will take about 25-30 minutes.
Add the butternut squash, parmesan, sage, thyme, and rosemary, salt, and pepper and stir until combined.
Top with more parmesan and/or fresh herbs. I also like to top with pomegranate seeds.
Serve hot and enjoy!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

If you’re wondering what to serve with Butternut Squash Risotto, you will be happy to know that the answer is… practically ANYTHING!

Since risotto tends to be on the richer side, I personally prefer to serve a lighter entrée like a salad or fish, but you certainly can’t go wrong with a simple baked chicken either.

STORAGE, FREEZING, AND REHEATING INSTRUCTIONS

Butternut Squash Risotto is easy to store, freeze, and reheat. I’ll explain how below.

STORING AND REHEATING

Any leftover risotto can be kept in the refrigerator for up to five days. It can be reheated in the microwave. If it seems a little dry, add a little splash of stock or water to loosen things back up again.

FREEZING AND REHEATING

You can absolutely freeze Butternut Squash Risotto! I like to freeze it in individually-sized portions either in a sandwich-sized ziplock bag or in a small container. When I want to reheat it, I’ll thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then heat in a small pan with a splash of stock or water to help it get back to its original consistency.

LEFTOVER VEGETABLE OR CHICKEN STOCK

If I have leftover vegetable or chicken stock after making my risotto, I’ll use an ice cube tray and freeze it in individual portions. Once frozen, I pop out the frozen cubes and store them in a freezer bag until I need to use them. I love the smaller portions this provides because I can grab one or two when I’m reheating a dish (like this one!) instead of opening a brand new carton of stock.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

This Butternut Squash Risotto makes 8 servings at 1/2 cup each. Each serving comes out to 181 calories, 5 WW Green SmartPoints®, 5 WW Blue SmartPoints®, and 5 WW Purple SmartPoints®.

MORE SIDE DISHES

If you’re looking for more side dish recipes, be sure to check these out…

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below, or post a picture and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter with @cookingwithfudge or #cookingwithfudge.