Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
This butternut squash risotto recipe tastes incredible! It's also healthier than most and requires practically no stirring. You can bake it all in the oven!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
This butternut risotto recipe is comforting, yet redeeming, and absolutely delicious. It features tender, caramelized cubes of butternut squash throughout.
Unlike most risottos, this one calls for brown short-grain rice instead of white. This yields a super creamy risotto full of whole grain goodness. The lightly nutty brown rice makes this risotto recipe remarkably flavorful, in the best of ways.
The only downside is that brown rice requires more cooking time than white, so I’ve switched from the traditional stovetop method to the oven.
This way, you only have to stir the risotto for a few minutes at the end, rather than for fifty minutes straight. That’s a serious arm workout, by the way.
How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto
While the risotto bubbles in the oven, we’ll roast cubed butternut on the top rack until it’s tender and caramelized on the edges.
Then, we’ll stir the rice and butternut together with a splash of white wine, several pats of butter and freshly grated Parmesan.
To take it to the next level, we’ll top it off with crispy fried sage (you’ll learn how to make it in the recipe below). This risotto is heavenly, I tell you. Here’s to healthy, happy eating!
Watch How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto
More Irresistible Risotto Recipes to Try
All three of these risotto recipes use the same easy oven-baked cooking method:
- Easy Brown Rice Risotto with Mushrooms and Fresh Oregano
- Lemony Roasted Cauliflower Risotto
- Spring Pea and Asparagus Risotto
You’ll also enjoy my recipe for Roasted Cherry Tomato and Brown Rice Risotto in my cookbook, Love Real Food. See page 172.
Please let me know how your risotto turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you! Check the notes for a dairy-free/vegan option.
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
This butternut squash risotto recipe tastes incredible! Roasted butternut squash and crispy fried sage take it over the top. This risotto is also healthier than most, since it calls for brown rice instead of white, and requires practically no stirring. You can just bake it all in the oven! Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Butternut squash risotto
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups brown arborio/short-grain brown rice
- 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced into ½” cubes
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese* (about 2 ½ ounces)
- ½ cup dry white wine, optional
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
Fried sage
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 16 to 20 fresh sage leaves, chopped (to yield about ¼ cup chopped fresh sage)
Instructions
- To prepare: Place your oven racks in the lower third and upper third positions (we’re going to bake the risotto on the middle rack and roast the squash on the upper rack at the same time), then preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for the butternut squash. Reserve 1 cup broth from your container and set it aside for when the risotto is out of the oven.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium-to-large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Cover the pot and bake on the lower rack until rice is tender and cooked through, about 65 to 70 minutes. It will seem pretty dry when you take off the lid, but don’t worry!
- Immediately after placing the pot of risotto in the oven, toss the cubed butternut with 2 tablespoons olive oil on your lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and arrange the butternut in a single layer on the pan. Roast on the upper rack until the butternut is fork tender and the edges are deeply caramelized, tossing halfway. This took 55 to 60 minutes for me, but start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.
- While the risotto and butternut are in the oven, fry the sage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get darker green and crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
- Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and pour in the remaining cup of broth, the Parmesan, wine and butter. Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, a generous amount of pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Stir in the roasted butternut. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Divide the risotto into bowls and top each with a sprinkle of fried sage. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my cauliflower risotto recipe.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Starchy rice accounts for most of this risotto’s creaminess, so you can skip the dairy or replace it with the following. Replace the butter with vegan butter or a tablespoon or two of additional olive oil, to taste. Skip the Parmesan cheese. You might like to add some nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor.
*A note on Parmesan: I always get a few comments on recipes that include Parmesan (“It’s not vegetarian!”) but Whole Foods actually makes a great animal rennet-free Parmesan. There’s plenty of flavor in here without the Parmesan, if you’d rather leave it out.
If you must use white arborio rice: Bake it for 40 to 45 minutes, until tender to the bite, and proceed as directed.
If you don’t have a Dutch oven: Use a large saucepan instead, then carefully pour the boiling broth and rice mixture into a casserole dish. If the casserole dish has an oven-safe lid, use that; if not, cover it tightly with foil. Bake as directed.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
What a coincidence that you posted this today as I was just looking up your mushroom brown rice risotto recipe to make for dinner! I try to have all the rice, pasta, and bread I eat be whole wheat/grain, so I absolutely LOVE that you do recipes like this! Can’t wait to try this one as well – keep up the awesome work!
Oh, how perfect! Thank you, Jackie. :)
Oh wow, cool! I actually have a whole bunch of butternut squash from a farmshare that I was just trying to figure out what to do with. :)
I don’t think I’ve ever cooked risotto as an adult, but there’s a first time for everything!
Perfect! I hope you love the risotto, Sarah.
Wow this looks so rich and comforting! Adding it to my list of vegetarian recipes to try. :)
I gotta say I think you are so lucky to be able to do what you love…I mean I’m 24 and have no idea what I’m gonna do with my life.I study medicine,which I hate every moment of it.I’m just doing this because my parents want me to.and I’ve been thinking about quitting but I don’t know what to do after quitting!There are things that I enjoy doing like baking,but again have no idea how to make a career out of it.and besides all of this,I’ve always wanted to live in a country where I can be more free.I live in Iran and there is so much limitations here.you can’t just decide to go after something you like here.so want to get out of here,but I haven’t find a way to do that yet.
sorry to bother you with talking about my problems.just wanted to share my sad life story with somebody!
happy new year and happy birthday by the way:)
Happy New Year, Zahra! I’m sending you happy thoughts from the USA. I wish I knew the answer for you. Don’t give up! I know there is a solution for you. My only suggestion is to talk out your situation with friends and maybe ask others who have careers that you admire how they got there.
Hi Kate and Cookie – happy new year! I love your idea of not buying any clothes in the new year and I’m going to try my best to adhere to your wonderful resolution…though I gotta say, I’m not sure how my underwear will hold out! (I know…too much information…!) I love the sound and look of this recipe and I’m definitely going to try it, but I have a question: how does the wine, added at the end, cook off? Doesn’t it taste too “winey” if the alcohol doesn’t evaporate?
Here’s to a magnificent 2016, ratty undies and all!
Ha! Your comment made me laugh, Rose. I think I’m good to go in that department, but I’d say underwear is a fine exception. :) Good question about the wine. I suppose it doesn’t get a chance to cook off, so it contributes some liquid to the dish, but I don’t find the flavor overpowering. I think the flavor still remains after the liquid evaporates, so I’m not sure it’s an issue.
I just made risotto for the first time this week. It was nerve wrecking but so good!
Yay for your first risotto!
Yummy butternut squash, I wish the would sell it here during this season. Also love that you used whole wheat rice instead of white, this sounds absolutely delicious.
Happy new year :)
xoxo
Thank you and Happy New Year!
This recipe sounds wonderful. The price of fresh sage here is prohibitive. I always have fresh rosemary in my yard. What do you think of it as a substitute?
Rosemary would be great! I’m not sure you need to fry it like the sage, but you’re welcome to give that a try.
Thank you for your reply. Rosemary made a fine substitute for sage in the split pea soup I made today. When I make your risotto, I think I’ll throw a sprig of rosemary in to saute with the onions.
Sounds like a great idea! Enjoy!
This sounds delicious! I love butternut squash and the easier method of cooking. Thank you for sharing.
By the way, if you just turned 30 you are actually settling into your 4th decade! :)
Haha! Can you tell it’s been a few years since my last math class? Thank you for pointing that out. :)
For me, 2016 is all about focusing inward. I feel like I have grown by leaps and bounds in 2015, and extended my reach… but now it’s time to get back to basics and focus on my core, both physically and emotionally. I love your resolution of not buying clothes for 2016 – it sounds appealing, and I may try it as well…. I barely buy any as is, so it won’t be a stretch (at least until Boxing Day 2016, and then all bets are off). I also love your take on risotto, especially because it’s whole grain. Beauty! Here’s to a successful, balanced 2016.
That sounds like a great plan, Ksenia. Sounds like you do a great job of keeping your shopping in check! Happy New Year!
Oh yum! We are HUGE fans of risotto in this house, so this would go down very well here for sure! I just love the creamy, stick-to-your-bones kind of warmth it gives you while not being too heavy, either! :)
Hi Kate,
This recipe looks delicious. Focusing on giving rather than acquiring is such a lovely and mature way to mark turning 30.
Thank you for sharing your yummy recipes and adorable pics of Cookie.
Keep up the great work!
All the best,
Rofat HaSalat
I made this for dinner tonight. It was fab! I used what I had on hand. That resulted in the addition of mushrooms and the use of Swiss cheese and barley. Not exactly risotto, but still quite tasty! :)
Happy and Healthy eating to you as well! I am so, so looking forward to all the fresh and bright recipes I am sure you will feature on this blog throughout 2016!
Ah, risotto is all I want to eat on colder, rainy nights! The butternut squash and sage is one of my favorite winter combinations, too!
This risotto, these pictures, EVERYTHING about this = love.
Also love the idea of not buying clothes for a year – I feel like I accidentally kind of did that this year… but unfortunately I didn’t have many decent clothes to start (terrible shopper right here!) so it’s left me looking rather baggy lady chic!! I do love the idea that we already have enough – it’s so true and I so often take it for granted.
Yummmmmm! January is the best month for risotto and this one looks like a crazy good one!
I’ve never seen a baked risotto before. This looks so delicious, the colour contrast between the risotto and the blue bowl really works.
Happy New Year Kate!
This looks delicious, and so comforting for this time of year.
This looks perfect for the New Year’s- warm and rich and hearty like winter demands, but healthy and vibrant for a clean slate. This New Year’s I’m trying to be more intentional about my time- to focus on the task at hand more at work, and when I’m not working to spend time with people I love or on projects I’m interested in, rather than mindlessly surfing the internet. I think 2016 will be a good one.
I got a dutch oven for Christmas, and this looks like the perfect recipe to test it out with! This looks so delicious and comforting for this cold weather we’re having in KC. Love!
This looks incredible. I have made Mushroom Risotto with Vegetable Broth in the past. I’ve gotta try it with Butternut Squash. Hats off to you on giving.. it’s always better to give than to receive. I just don’t think I have it in me to NOT buy a single piece of clothing. Oh boy! Tough one. :-)
I made it with Farro ..and it turned out a little crispy-nutty from putting it all in toaster oven. Love it !
This looks so good and I love that it’s made with brown rice. I will definitely be making this!
Just finished eating the butternut risoto with sage leaves, delicious!! And pretty easy to make. I am french and was raised cooking but I love the creativity and mix of texture of your dishes!
Yum! This is the perfect healthy comfort food now that the temperatures have dipped. I can’t wait to try it! And kudos on the shopping restriction challenge.
Hi Kate, I don’t have a Dutch Oven. Can I cook Risotto on stove top? I need to put a Dutch Oven on my wish list!
Tina
Hi Tina, you can! You might try cooking it on the stovetop and then stirring it vigorously for a few minutes at the end as described in the recipe.
Hello from Santa Cruz! This recipe looks delicious and I am excited to try. I read this post earlier and it stuck with me all week because of your intention to not buy clothes in 2016. I am not much of a clothes horse and try to practice consumer minimalism, but that declaration gave me thought. I always split my closet into two distinct sections: work and play, since my jobs are always office-based and business casual has been the norm. However, I am finding that the more comfortable I am in my current clothes, the happier I am. Even if it’s not trendy or the color style is 3+ years ago, who cares? I have pared my stuff down tremendously this year and try to buy only things that are meant to last. I recently sent my 12-year old river sandals back to Chaco for resoling. They are ready for another dozen years of play!
Amen! I might have to do the same with my Chacos sometime soon. I have walked many miles in them with Cookie. I’m definitely transitioning from trendy to timeless stuff that I love, and I feel great about it!
I made this last night and it was super delicious!! I doubled the amount of squash so it wasn’t mostly rice. I also added the wine and the cup of broth at the end and popped it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. It was a great consistency, very creamy. The sage leaves on top are perfect. Thank you for the great recipe!!
Tonight was vegetarian night in my house. My nitrate loving husband hates this night….usually. I made this for him and he truly liked it! He actually said it was a really good dinner! Unbelievable. Kate, you did it again. :)
Made this for dinner tonight for my mum, sister, and me. It was absolutely delicious! So creamy and the butternut squash was divine (without masses of butter, cream, etc.). I don’t normally like the kind of sweet, soft veg like sweet potato and butternut squash, but there’s something to be said for cutting it up into small little pieces!
I also didn’t fry the sage (I use low-calorie spray for everything, so don’t have any oil), but just cut up a small handful and stirred it through, and that was lovely.
Thank you for the beautiful recipe! Making your Thai green curry tomorrow for some family that’s coming around, too, and I’m sure it’ll be a big winner.
Looks great!…. So is the rice and squash in the oven at the same time? Step #4 sounds like you put the squash in when the rice is done, but I’m thinking they are both in the oven at the same time on different racks? Thanks!
Fresh sage is still growing strong here in my Austin garden, so I will try this recipe tomorrow. I always appreciate how your recipes draw on what is freshest in the garden and at the Farmer’s market or farm stand. I also appreciate the convenience of roasting the veggies and baking the rice simultaneously as a time saver. I am a fan and a faithful follower.
Thank you so much, Marsha!
Everything about this sounds completely wonderful!! I love butternut and I love risotto. What a perfect combo!
That crispy sage! Perfect finishing touch. Such a delightful bowl- everything you could want in a warm winter meal. :)
Yummmmmmmmm! I am enjoying a bowl of this wonderful risotto right now!!! Great recipe. And my dog Max had a little and he gives it four woofs.
Thank you, Kathy and Max! :)
Made this tonight and it was absolute heaven! I even cheated and used frozen squash and just sprinkled dry sage in and it was still spectacular. Eating it I never would have guessed it was brown rice. Delicious! I don’t think I’ll ever do the old stirring-constantly-on-the-stovetop method of making risotto again!
Hooray! Thank you, Monica. So glad you enjoyed it!
I have given up shopping for a year starting September 1st. I love butternut squash risotto! I should let you know how much my granddaughter loves your pumpkin oatmeal waffles and I make double batches and freeze them. She gets so excited when she sees them. I like them too. She is 17 months old!
I hope your year off from shopping is going well! So far, I’m very pleased with my decision. Delighted to hear that your granddaughter enjoys my waffles! She sounds awfully cute.
Can this be made ahead? Want to serve this for a dinner party but I don’t want to be in the kitchen and trying to concentrate on the recipe when guests are here! I was thinking I could make it that morning and then reheat it. Have you tried that?
Hi Lori, I haven’t tried that, but I think this risotto is a prime candidate for that method!
Hi! I’m new to your blog. It’s very pretty. :-) Is this risotto a main dish or more of a side?
Thank you for saying hello, Erin! I treated it like a main dish. It would go well with a big green salad. It could be a side, too!
This sounds delicious! Two of my favorite things, risotto and butternut squash, in one dish :). I haven’t tried this yet because I’m having a hard time finding short grain brown rice. Any suggestions on where to find it?
I just made this and it was fantastic. I really prefer it to regular risotto, the nuttiness of the brown rice adds so much, and baking it is genius. Can’t see why I’d ever make risotto the “old” way again! Thank you!
Thank you, Caryn! I love the flavor of the brown rice, too!
That was delicious. The little bits of sage made it. Yum!
Thank you, Kerry! :)
Hello! Just made this last night and it was great! The texture was the best I’ve ever had in a risotto. Word to the wise, be sure to cube your butternut squash in thick chunks as directed in the recipe, I ended up slicing mine and they got a little crispy in the oven because they were too thin I think.
Overall great recipe! You never fail! :)
Thank you so much, Wren!
Hope your cookbook is progressing well~ Love all your recipes!
Lately I have had a problem printing recipes from your blog. I don’t know if it is due to my new computer or if something changed on your blog’s settings. Wondering if anyone else is having a similar problem.
Thanks, Kate.
Hi Cindy! I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having trouble. I just tried printing from three different browsers and didn’t have any trouble, but someone else did mention a similar issue the other day. Could you please tell me what kind of operating system and browser you’re using? Any more specifics about the issue would be really helpful. I’d like to figure out what’s going wrong!
Didn’t have enough left-overs to test the storage. This was absolutely delish. We’ll be making it again. Thank you!
Hooray! Thanks, Tess!
My husband used this as inspiration for my birthday dinner Tuesday and it was so so so good! Even better have been the leftovers which means more days of no cooking! (I love to cook, but a break now and again is nice especially during birthday week). I love leftover risotto with a fried egg over the top. Thanks so much! Love anything I make from your site. :)
I must try this! It looks amazing. Any idea if it could be prepared and then frozen to reheat? Probably not, but any tips on attempting to freeze it? I have 2 small children and want to do some make ahead meals and would like to avoid the ever growing trend of crock pot cooking (I like my crock pot, just not for every meal!). Also, I made your healthy banana muffins with oatmeal and they were a huge hit! I loved the touch of coconut flavor using the coconut oil!!!
Hi Jacqueline, so glad you enjoyed the muffins! I have (mostly) successfully frozen my mushroom risotto and I think this one would be an even better candidate.
Can I use butternut squash puree instead?
I think so, but you’ll miss out on the texture and extra flavor of the caramelized cubes of butternut. I really love those caramelized cubes. :)
Well. I made this last week and it is FANTASTIC! Kate, I had posted earlier asking you about the wine cooking off. You were right, although it’s added at the end, it’s not too “winey” at all – simple and delicious! I will NEVER make risotto on the stove top again. So, Kate, hand to heart, my pledge to you: I, Rosemary K., do solemnly swear to never, ever again question, doubt, or even briefly wonder about any of your recipes. I will simply follow where you lead. Always.
Thanks, Kate!!
Rose, your comment made my laugh! Thank you. :) I’m glad you loved the risotto and didn’t find it too winey. :D
I’ve never made risotto and this was a hit with my husband! Our two young girls were so-so about it, but what do they know ;) Thank so much it was great!