Butternut squash risotto is a perfect fall dish that's really creamy and full of great flavors. This dish is great whether you want something small like an appetizer, a side dish, or even a main meal. The roasted squash makes it sweet and goes really well with the creamy rice. It also has garlic, onion, and herbs, plus a little optional white wine to make it extra special.
Creamy Squash Risotto Recipe
I love whipping up some warm and creamy risotto any time of year! This delicious variation uses butternut squash puree to add some warm fall flavors!
Every bite of this butternut squash risotto is like a warm, cozy hug of delicious fall flavors. It's a great meal for any day, whether it's just a regular dinner or something special.
If you've never made risotto, don't let it intimidate you. Follow along, and I'll show you exactly how to make it!
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If you want to learn more about the best technique for preparing risotto, take a look at my guide on how to make risotto!
🥘 Ingredients
You can buy butternut squash puree or simply make it yourself! Make sure you grab Arborio rice or another variety that works well for risotto.
This recipe calls for butternut squash and puree. I recommend using my roasted butternut squash for greater depth of flavor. You will need to puree about 1 to 2 cups of the roasted squash. If you don't want to do a puree, then alternately, you can just mash it with a fork.
- Chicken Broth - 3 cups of chicken broth. You can swap it out for vegetable broth for a vegetarian recipe.
- Butternut Squash Puree - 1 cup of butternut squash puree.
- Roasted Butternut Squash - About 1 cup chopped.
- Oil - 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This is my preferred oil, but you can exchange it for your favorite neutral-tasting oil.
- Garlic - 3 teaspoons of minced garlic (or about 3 cloves).
- Onion - ¼ cup of yellow or white onion, chopped.
- Arborio Rice - 1 cup of Arborio rice. For more great options, check out my post about the best rice for risotto.
- White Wine (optional) - 2 ounces of dry white wine. If you want to omit the wine, simply use more broth.
- Salt & Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper to taste.
- Sage - ¼ teaspoon of ground sage.
- Parmesan - ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cream cheese - 2 ounces of room temperature cream cheese. Alternatively, you can use mascarpone.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 Instructions
While risotto does have a technique, it is not difficult to learn! Just grab a saucepan, skillet, and wooden spoon to begin!
You'll have about 4 servings of risotto, depending on if you want to serve it as an entree or a side dish!
Simmer Broth
- Combine. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 3 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of butternut squash puree. Stir to combine.
- Heat broth. Heat over medium-high until the broth mixture just begins to bubble, then reduce the heat to simmer. Hold the broth at a simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the risotto.
Prepare Risotto
- Saute garlic and onion. In a separate, large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) over medium heat. Add in 3 teaspoons of garlic and ¼ cup of diced onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add rice. Next, add 1 cup of Arborio rice to the pan with the garlic and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze the pan. To deglaze the pan, add in the 2 ounces of white wine (or more broth) and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently for 1 minute.
- Slowly add broth. Next, ladle 1 cup of the broth and squash mixture into the pan with the rice. Stir occasionally and allow the rice to absorb the liquid. Continue to ladle in the broth mixture in ½-cup increments, giving the rice time to absorb the liquid in between each addition. Stir in the ¼ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and ground sage.
- Continue cooking. After about 15 minutes of cooking, the rice will absorb liquid more slowly, so you can reduce your increments to ¼-cup ladles. Begin checking the rice at about 15-16 minutes for an al dente texture. You want the rice to be soft on the outside but still have a somewhat firm center.
- Add cheeses. Once the rice has reached your desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat and add in ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and 2 ounces of softened cream cheese. Stir until melted and well distributed.
- Top with additional roasted butternut squash and sprinkle Parmesan over the top.
- Serve. Serve immediately while warm (and in a warm bowl or pasta plate).
Serve your risotto with some air fryer asparagus and baked scallops! For more ideas, take a look at this list of what to serve with risotto! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- For a vegetarian version, swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth!
- When starting your risotto, go ahead and set out the cream cheese, as it needs 15-20 minutes to come to room temperature.
- If you want to omit the wine, you can deglaze the pan with more broth.
- The constant stirring helps to loosen the rice starch, which creates the creamy texture that risotto is known for!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep your risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating
To reheat your risotto, add a ¼ cup of broth to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add in your risotto and stir until it is warmed all the way through. If it is too thick, add more broth as needed.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Instead of using chicken broth, you can switch to some vegetable broth! It will still taste just as delicious!
This fall-time side dish pairs well with a wide variety of entrees! Serve it with some bag roasted chicken, baked monkfish, or pan-seared scallops!
I don't recommend freezing risotto. Risotto has a great creamy texture that can become grainy or altered when frozen.
🍚 Tasty Risotto Recipes
- Prawn Risotto - If you love seafood, this prawn risotto needs to be at the top of your 'must-try' list!
- Crab Risotto - This crab risotto is a full meal in one dish!
- Parmesan Risotto - This classic risotto recipe can act as a base for any other risotto variety you like!
- Mushroom Risotto - This Gordon Ramsay recipe is packed with tender mushrooms and rich flavor!
- Fresh Pea & Mint Risotto - This delicious recipe features fresh peas and mint oil!
- Lobster Risotto - For an elegant and sophisticated risotto variation, try out this delicious lobster risotto!
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📖 Recipe Card
Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup butternut squash puree (see ingredient section for details)
- 1 cup roasted butternut squash (see ingredient section for details)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 3 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup yellow onion (or white onion, chopped)
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 2 oz dry white wine (optional - *see note)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 2 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature, or mascarpone - *see note)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add your broth and butternut squash puree. Stir to combine.
- Heat over medium-high until the broth mixture just begins to bubble then reduce the heat to simmer. Hold the broth at a simmer over low heat while you prepare the rest of the risotto.
- In a separate, large skillet heat your extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) over medium heat. Add in the garlic and onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
- Next, add in your Arborio rice to the pan with the garlic and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To deglaze the pan, add in the 2 ounces of white wine (or more broth) and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Stir frequently for 1 minute.
- Next, ladle 1 cup of the broth and squash mixture into the pan with the rice. Stir occasionally and allow the rice to absorb the liquid. Continue to ladle in the broth mixture in ½-cup increments, giving the rice time to absorb the liquid in between each addition (*see note). Stir in the salt, pepper, and ground sage.
- After about 15 minutes of cooking, the rice will absorb liquid more slowly so you can reduce your increments to ¼-cup ladles. Begin checking the rice at about 15-16 minutes for an al dente texture. You want the rice to be soft on the outside but still have a somewhat firm center.
- Once the rice has reached your desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese and softened cream cheese. Stir until melted and well distributed.
- Top with a little of the roasted butternut squash and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately while warm (and in a warm bowl or pasta plate).
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth!
- When starting your risotto, go ahead and set out the cream cheese as it needs 15-20 minutes to come to room temperature.
- If you want to omit the wine, you can deglaze the pan with more broth.
- The constant stirring helps to loosen the starch from the rice, which is what creates the creamy texture that risotto is known for!
- To store: Keep your risotto in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: To reheat your risotto add a ¼ cup of broth to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add in your risotto and stir until it is warmed all the way through. If it is too thick, add more broth as needed.
Frank Fowler says
just a simple question..i would like to try your butternut squash risotto .. when I look at your photo of finished product i see what looks like cubed squash? my puree would be smooth and free of solids. does it matter as long as its well cooked before adding to risotto etc?
thanks
Frank
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Frank, actually I used a smooth squash puree, the cubed pieces are added for decoration. (I had leftovers from my roasted acorn squash) So to answer your question, it will be great with a puree!