Creamy Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

By: Merritt Allen

Described as fall indulgence in a bowl, this warming pumpkin and sage risotto is all things cozy and bright. Using the natural sugars of sweet butternut squash and the sharp bitterness of sage, these flavors pair nicely with many foods, making it a versatile and beautiful weeknight meal side dish.

Though labeled as a risotto, this dish is what I like to call a “quick risotto”; creamy and starchy but without the time of slowly stirring over a hot stove. It is the perfect method for saving time but still getting a super creamy and delicious meal.

The pumpkin or butternut squash and the Arborio rice are so smooth and velvety together that you will hardly notice this is not made in the traditional risotto method, and a little extra butter at the end never hurt. I hope you give this delightful dish a try and enjoy both the flavor and color as much as I do. This dish is bright, delightful, and healthy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Notes and Tips Great Butternut Squash Risotto:

• The squash can be mashed with a fork, or immersion blender. The fork method yields a nice chunky risotto with bursts of squash throughout. The immersion blenders will create something closer to a porridge texture. If you would like to use your immersion blender but still have a chunky risotto, only blend 1/2 to 3/4 of the squash and then fork tenderize the rest. This is my preferred method.

• Leftover sage you want to save? Dry it out on your window sill and save it for future savory dishes. Or chop finely and freeze in a small ice cube tray mixed with olive oil and salt. This is will be a little burst of flavor when you next want to sauté some vegetables.

• I recommend saving the squash seeds. You can roast them on their own to make great crunchy salad additions. Toss with olive oil and your favorite seasoning and roast at 350 F until golden brown (about 15 minutes.)

• You can peel your squash before or after you roast. I usually do it before for ease of making the rest of the dish later, and to save the seeds.

Can You Make Risotto Quickly?

• Yes you can make risotto quickly. This butternut squash risotto is a bit of cheat because we do not stand over the stove to cook the Arborio rice. Instead, we cook the rice in a chicken broth and then add it to the mashed butternut squash. Together, these achieve a very creamy texture that comes together very quickly.

Should I Rinse My Risotto Rice?

• Since risotto is a very creamy dish, and rinsing rice actually decreases the starch content that can help increase creaminess, you do not want to rinse your rice.

• I like to rinse my rice, just once to get rid of impurities that may come with the rice from the store. Feel free to do the same or just cook the Arborio rice straight from the bag.

What Does Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto Go With?

• The flavors of sage and butternut squash are strong and make for incredible leftovers that can be paired with many different flavors. If you want to throw some shredded chicken, roasted kale, or even some cheese, those are easy ways to vary the flavor just slightly and have a great dish. I have also listed out some of my favorite recipes I like to pair with this risotto.

• Try making the risotto the base for my Ground Beef and Rice Bowls. These are some easy meal prep bowls and there would be no better way to celebrate fall than to swap the rice for this risotto.

• My Lemon Dill Chicken is a bright chicken dish that pairs well with the strong flavors of sage.

• Give my Kale Salad Recipe a boost by pairing this hearty salad with some butternut squash risotto!

What Can I Do With Butternut Squash Seeds?

• Save your butternut squash seeds so you can roast them! They are so good added into salads, sprinkled on top of the risotto, or just eaten plain!

• To prepare, wash them in a colander and then spread out on a towel and pat dry. Toss them with some olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes. They will be golden, crunchy and delicious!

Recipe For Butternut Squash Risotto

• 1 small to medium butternut squash You can use any pumpkin here! Try it with acorn sqaush, Kuri squash, or regular pumpkin.
• 3 garlic cloves, lightly minced. You can as many garlic cloves that you want! You can also use garlic powder if you do not have fresh, but fried garlic with sage is so good!
• 3 Tbs olive oil You can use butter or any type of oil here. Olive oil is easy to roast the squash with since it does not require melting.
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice, uncooked Arborio rice is a starchier rice and helps make your dish even creamier.
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth Broth or stock helps add flavor to the rice. You can use water if you do not have any stock on hand.
• 2 Tbs butter or olive oil This oil is for frying the garlic and the sage!
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh sage, chopped. Fresh sage comepletes this dish. You can also use thyme or rosemary.
• 1 tsp honey, optional. A slight drizzle of honey is the perfect sweet balance to all the savory notes in this risotto.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese (optional) . Parmesan cheese is so creamy and a perfect cheese for this dish. You can alos use Pecormino romano or even leave the cheese out all together.

How To Make Pumpkin and Sage Risotto:

1. Roast The Squash

   1. To prepare your butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Peel and trim the top and bottom of the squash. If peeling prior to cooking, peel now. Cut your squash into 4-6 pieces. I set aside my seeds to roast later.

   2. Bake your squash until fork tender (about 20 min depending on size of chunks). Set aside to cool.

2. Cook the Rice and Sage

   1. In a pot, rinse the Arborio rice 1 time to remove impurities. Cook according to instructions but use chicken broth instead of water.

   2. While the rice is cooking prepare the sage and squash for further cooking.

   3. Chop the sage into small pieces.

   4. Lightly mince the garlic.

   5. Add the sage and butter to a pan over medium heat with 3 Tbs of olive oil.

   6. While the sage cooks, mash the squash.

   7. When the sage and butter are browned and fragrant, remove them from the heat.

3. Combine and Serve

   1. When the rice is done cooking, add the squash, sage, and garlic to a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

   2. Taste and add more butter, salt, or fresh sage. I add all three usually!

   3. Top with parmesan, a little salt and pepper, and enjoy!

Print

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Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Yield: 4

Prep time: 30 MinCook Time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This fabulous and colorful risotto, is so easy to make. A creamy combination of butternut squash and delicate sage makes for a truly wonderful meal.

Ingredients

Gather your Ingredients

• 1 small to medium butternut squash
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 Tbs butter or olive oil
• 2-3 sprigs of fresh sage
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt
• Pepper
• Goat cheese (optional)

Instructions

To Make The Risotto

1. To prepare your butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Peel and trim the top and bottom of the squash. If peeling prior to cooking, peel now. Cut your squash into 1 inch pieces. I set aside my seeds to roast later.
2. Bake your squash until fork tender (about 20 min depending on size of chunks). Set aside to cool.
3. In a pot, rinse the Arborio rice 1-2 times. Cook according to instructions but use chicken broth instead of water.
4. While the rice is cooking prepare the sage and squash for further cooking.
5. Chop the sage into small pieces.
6. Chop the cooled squash into smaller pieces (about 1 inch cubes) so that they can be easily mashed.
7. Add the sage to a pan over medium heat with 1 Tbs of oil or butter and a dash of salt.
8. When the sage is beginning to wilt, add the squash, 1 to 2 tsp of honey, and an additional Tbs of oil.
9. Saute the sage and the squash for an additional 3-4 minutes.
10. Remove your squash mixture from the heat and place in a bowl.
11. Mash with a fork or blitz with an immersion blender.
12. When the rice is done cooking, add the squash mixture into your rice.
13. Taste and add more butter, salt, or fresh sage. I add all three usually!
14. Top with parmesan or goat cheese and enjoy.

https://itsbetterwithbutter.com/appetizers-and-sides/butternutsquash-risotto

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