Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe With Sage
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Nov 30, 2024 • 3 min read
Take advantage of the winter squash season by making a hearty butternut risotto. You can serve this veggie risotto as a main dish or a Thanksgiving side dish.
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What Is Butternut Squash Risotto?
Butternut squash risotto is a creamy Italian rice dish featuring butternut squash, a versatile winter squash. To make this version of risotto, roast the squash and add it to the rice as it is cooking. The addition of butternut squash gives the risotto a slight sweetness. Popular garnishes for butternut squash risotto include Parmesan cheese, fresh sage, and parsley.
Risotto recipes traditionally call for Arborio rice—a rounded, short-grain white rice with a high starch content—though you can substitute carnaroli rice or other grains for an oat or barley risotto. The key to risotto is the cooking method: Sauté the starch and then cook it on low heat as you add ladles of chicken stock. This allows the rice to release its starches gradually, yielding a perfectly al dente result in a creamy sauce.
3 Tips for Making Butternut Squash Risotto
Follow these tips to make the best butternut squash risotto:
- 1. Add the squash at the correct time. Butternut squash will break down completely into a purée if you add it at the beginning of the cooking process, giving the butternut squash risotto an orange color. If you prefer pieces of butternut squash, add the squash at the end of the cooking process. If you want both puréed butternut squash and butternut squash pieces, add half at the beginning and half at the end.
- 2. Remove the risotto from heat before adding dairy. Take the risotto off the heat before stirring in Parmesan cheese. The fats found in dairy products can break and separate when heated.
- 3. Toss the squash in olive oil. If you prefer a more caramelized flavor to your butternut squash, toss the winter squash with olive oil on a baking sheet. Roast the squash at 450 degrees Fahrenheit in the oven for thirty to forty minutes.
Simple Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
65 mincook time
50 minIngredients
- 1
Cook the butternut squash. Fill a medium saucepan with water, and then bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. When the water is boiling, add the butternut squash and cook until fork tender (5–6 minutes). Drain the butternut squash and set aside.
- 2
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a low boil, then reduce heat to low, keeping the broth just below a simmer. You want the broth to be about the same temperature as the rice while it’s cooking.
- 3
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-low, then sauté the shallots until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- 4
Add the garlic and stir continuously until fragrant, about 30–60 seconds.
- 5
Add the rice and half of the butternut squash to the shallot-garlic mixture, season with salt, and stir to combine. Continue stirring until rice is well coated and becomes translucent, 2–5 minutes.
- 6
Add the sage leaves, a half cup of broth, and a splash of wine to the rice mixture. Stir often, until rice has fully absorbed the liquid.
- 7
Add the remaining broth in ½ cup increments, following each addition with a splash of wine and allowing rice to absorb liquid between additions, until rice is al dente, about 25–35 minutes. (You may not need all of the liquid.)
- 8
Remove the pan from heat and add ½ cup cheese, the remaining butternut squash, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cover and allow to rest 5 minutes.
- 9
Serve with additional cheese. Garnish with parsley.
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