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This is a comforting and hearty vegetarian family meal recipe. There’s so much flavour in this Butternut Squash Risotto, which is complemented perfectly with the addition of a hint of sage, giving the whole dinner a rich depth.
I vary my approach to cooking risottos, from a big stir-fest in my Smoked Haddock Risotto to the shove-in-oven kind for my Bacon and Cheese Risotto.
Really it comes down to the ingredients and what flavours lend themselves to the necessary effort.
This risotto recipe is somewhere in the middle, with a bit of stirring and then in the oven to do with work (although you can make this on the hob if you want to – see the recipe below for the method).
While it’s still very low effort considering it’s a really impressive and delicious dish, this recipe does benefit from roasting the butternut squash beforehand for that depth of flavour.
Why you’ll love this Butternut Squash Risotto recipe
⭐️ Gluten-free, vegetarian, nutritious
⭐️ Hearty and satisfying
⭐️ Low cost and simple to make
How we came up with this recipe
Risotto is known for being rather tricky to get right and so it might be tempting to steer clear from attempting one.
My message is – please give it a go! This is a hearty, creamy and comforting dish that the whole family will love.
It’s also vegetarian for non-meat eaters or if you’re reducing your meat intake, the ingredients are incredibly good value and easy to get hold of, and it’s naturally gluten-free too (although please double check all packs to make sure).
Butternut Squash Ingredients Notes
- Rice – Arborio or carnaroli are both available in most supermarkets, with arborio the most common. Any marked ‘risotto rice’ is fine
- Butternut squash – You can use a few cheat options rather than fresh if you prefer (see Top Tips)
- Garlic – Use a head for roasting
- Onion – Use fresh or pre-prepared frozen
How to make Butternut Squash Risotto
1. Put the butternut squash chunks onto a roasting tin with a garlic bulb and roast in the oven as per the recipe below.
2. Cook the onion, sage and rice, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the stock, stir and put in the oven.
3. When roasted, blend half of the butternut squash and garlic and add into risotto.
4. Take out of the oven and add the rest of the squash, along with butter and cheese and stir well.
NB. You can make this risotto on the hob if you prefer. There are pros and cons to both methods, so choose what you find best. Details are in the recipe below.
Substitutions
- Cheese – If you’re vegetarian or vegan, omit the cheese or use vegetarian/vegan cheese (always check the pack to be sure)
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. You can reheat the risotto in the microwave or on the hob, but it might be a bit gloopy, so add a splash of water to loosen it up. I’d say, not at its best but I’d certainly still eat it!
In the freezer Freezing can be the same. It still tastes nice but can be a little stodgy. So OK for leftovers but probably don’t batch cook with the intention of freezing, if you know what I mean?
Top tip
You can use fresh butternut squash and peel and cut it up, OR if you want to save time, you can go for a pre-prepared fresh version that you buy in bags.
You could also try pre-prepared frozen bags if you can find them. For reference, the weight in the recipe is for prepared cubes.
Cooking risotto in the Oven
PROS
- No stirring, hands off meal
CONS
- Not quite as creamy
- Cost of the oven being on
VS
Cooking risotto on the hob
PROS
- Creamier and richer
CONS
- Needs constant attention
- Can stick if not using a nonstick pan
More recipes with Butternut Squash…
FAQs
Yes! We’re going for simplicity here, so it’s totally OK for an easy midweek meal. Keep an eye on it and if the liquid has all been absorbed, add a little more stock. Then serve it before ALL of the liquid has been absorbed so it still has a little sauce.
You could, but that creaminess and sauce texture won’t be the same. You may also need to adjust the cooking time a little.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Butternut Squash Risotto {Oven Bake or on the Hob}
Ingredients
To roast:
- 1 kg Butternut squash, Peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 1 Head of garlic
- Salt and pepper
For the rice:
- 2 tsp Olive oil
- 1 Onion, Peeled and finely chopped
- 20 g Fresh sage, Finely chopped
- 300 g Risotto rice
- 1.5 litre Hot vegetable stock
To serve:
- 75 g Grated parmesan
- 50 g Butter
- 2 tsp Olive oil , Optional | See notes
- 5 g Fresh sage, Optional | See notes
Instructions
To oven cook:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Put the butternut squash onto a lined roasting tin, nestle the whole unpeeled garlic bulb in the middle of the tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pop into the oven and set the timer to 40 minutes.
- After the butternut squash has been in the oven for 10 minutes, start to cook the rice. Put a large ovenproof pan with a lid onto the hob and heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion.
- Fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the sage and the risotto rice and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until the rice is well coated in the oil.
- Add the stock, stir well, put the lid on and put into the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven, put HALF of it into a small blender, along with the cooked garlic (squish it out of the papery skin and discard the skin). Blend until smooth and add into the cooked risotto.
- Add the rest of the cooked cubes of butternut squash, the cheese and butter and stir well. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
To cook on the hob:
- Put the butternut squash onto a lined roasting tin, nestle the whole unpeeled garlic bulb in the middle of the tray and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Pop into the oven and set the timer to 40 minutes.
- After the butternut squash has been in the oven for 10 minutes, start to cook the rice. Put a large non-stick pan with a lid onto the hob and heat the oil over a medium heat, and add the onion.
- Fry gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the sage and the risotto rice and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes until the rice is well coated in the oil.
- Add 1 litre of stock a little at a time, stirring well continuously.
- Simmer on a medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring throughout and ensuring it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven, put HALF of it into a small blender, along with the cooked garlic (squish it out of the papery skin and discard the skin). Blend until smooth and add into the cooked risotto.
- Add the rest of the cooked cubes of butternut squash, the cheese and butter and stir well. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Optional:
- An option (which I do love) fry off the additional fresh sage leaves in some hot oil for about 30 seconds on each side until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and then sprinkle over the finished risotto.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is great! Easy and lovely and flavourful.
This website has revolutionised my cooking since having my second baby, thank you 😊
This is my first attempt at an oven baked risotto…..and you have converted me! I never make risotto because it’s SUCH a FAFF on the hob…..but your recipe was an absolute game changer and SSSOOOOO tasty! Thank you!
So easy and Loved by the whole family!
Made this recipe tonight and it genuinely is the best winter warmer I have ever made! Did it with tender stem broccoli and garlic bread. It went down a treat. Will deffo be making regularly throughout the winter months.
Delicious and super easy to make – way better than a regular risotto recipe.
So tasty and easy to make!
Always looking for new risotto recipes and this is an amazing addition. So so tasty and really easy. Will definitely be making again soon. Thanks for all your delicious recipes.
I made this this evening and we enjoyed it so much I had to comment!
I subbed in broccoli for peppers, which worked well, and there was plenty of sauce.
Delicious.
Delicious
Made this recipe last night and it went down a treat. I also added some sweet potatoes (roasted with the squash) and some bacon. Very yummy