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.
Maybe one of the best recipes I have ever made! Absolutely delicious. It’s a great way to use fresh sage from my herb garden. I may have used more sage than Asked for n the recipe. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Didn’t have quite the right ingredients but first time I’ve tried baking risotto and its absolutely delicious!! Will be sure to get some brown rice; although I quite liked my lemon thyme substitute!!
I’ve honestly made this dish so many times, and it has impressed everyone I have cooked for! It’s so flavorful and one of my favorite recipes!
So good we both went back for seconds! I’d also maybe double the sage – it was so good on top. Almost skipped it but glad I ran out for some. The tips for the casserole dish and white Arborio really helped since that’s all I could find!
Someone gave me a butternut squash, and I thought I’d try something savory with it. I had sworn off risotto as I just can’t bring myself to stand at the stove for that long, but then I saw that this recipe is cooked in the oven. Sold. The end result was a pot of creamy, sweet-savory goodness that even my brown-rice-averse raved about. This recipe goes straight into my recipe binder. Thank you!
Made this for dinner last night. LOVED the taste and consistency – *delicious,* but the entire bottom layer of my risotto was caked and burnt on the bottom of the Dutch oven after baking. How do I keep that from happening next time? I probably lost 1/5 of the yield to the bottom of the pan (crying emoji!). Otherwise, the taste was perfect and even my picky risotto husband loved it and asked me to make it again.
Hi Heather, I’m sorry to hear that! How close was your dutch oven to the bottom? It sounds like it was too hot and/or cooked for too long. I would suggest checking your risotto at the earlier end of the time to see how it is and adjust as necessary.
Can I use jasmati instead?
Short grain works the best to get the right texture and consistency.
Never did I ever think I would make risotto, but I just did and it was fantastic. Thank you!
Hi there,
Do you think I could double this recipe? And make it ahead? Four servings won’t be enough as two are total vegetarians and the rest it will be a side dish for.
Hi Beth! This one should double just fine. Just make sure you have a large enough pot. You can make it ahead as I love this one as leftovers!
Can this be made a day ahead?
If yes, how do I warm it up ?
Hey Alex! Yes, this is a great candidate to make a day ahead. You can simply warm the pot up on the stove, or heat individual portions in the microwave even.
Thank you! Doubled the recipe and made it a day ahead for Thanksgiving, it was a hit! I used a large pot, transferred to a casserole dish for baking, and then back to the pot. Traveled & reheated nicely! Requests from the family to make this every year!
Wonderufl, Alex!
Can you make this in an instant pot? Any pressure cooker recs? Thanks!
Hi Victoria! I’m not sure about making this in a pressure cooker as I haven’t tried it.
Made this for my family and received rave reviews!
I’ve always been averse to making risotto because it seemed so time consuming, but this method of baking is so simple! No fuss at all. I had to make several of the modifications in the notes and it still came out beautifully. I used white arborio rice because it’s what is available here. I also do not have a Dutch oven, so I used a 9×13 glass casserole dish with aluminum foil tightly wrapped on top. Rice was perfect after 40 minutes. Lastly, I used Dubliner cheese in place of parmesan because my dad is strictly vegetarian. I think and mature, meltable hard cheese would work here. I didn’t add the salt because the broth was salty enough.
Definitely give this recipe a go. So easy. So good.
Where does the wine come in?
Hi Rebecca! See step 6. I hope this helps.
Can I make this with a stovetop stockpot that is oven safe to 400F?
Hi! If you have an oven safe pot with a lid, it should be ok. Depending on the pot, it may stick to the sides more though.
This is a favorite recipe in our household. Even my meat-loving husband loves it. Excited that the weather is finally cooling down where we are so that we can enjoy it again!
Wow! Delicious and easy!
Thank you for letting me know you liked it!
Oh my gosh this is incredible. I used white rice and doubled the recipe and it went well. Might roast up more butternut squash to add to the leftovers to make it more veggie heavy. Thank you for your recipes. I use them multiple times per week – I’m so grateful!
Made with regular white arborio rice using the 40 min time and worked out perfectly, with the squash roasted for 35 minutes. Next time will add a bit more liquid at the end, was delicious but not quite as creamy as most risotto’s I make. Was a BIG plus to be able to just throw this in the oven, make a salad, do the dishes and have time for a drink while it was cooking rather than the usual stovetop method. I didn’t do the whole sage thing and was still delicious as a main course. Next time might try to add some shrimp or chicken when the kids are home from college to make it a bit more hearty.
This recipe was great! Perfect meal after a cold fall hike. We couldn’t find fresh sage so we substituted sautéed dino kale and baby bella mushrooms – stirred in at the same time as the butternut squash. Definitely will make again! Thanks again for another tried and true recipe, Kate!
I never comment on recipes but this was seriously one of the best things I’ve eaten at home in a long time. Super easy and her white Arborio suggestion was spot on.
I’m happy you did, Kyle! Thank you for your review.
Could this work using farro instead? Would I need to adjust the cooking time?
Hi Bonnie, This was meant for short grain rice. I haven’t tried it so can speak to if it would work or what adjustments would need to be made. Sorry!
Hi Kate!, could I substitute Acorn Squash for the Butternut? Thanks and I love your recipes and your blog!
Hi! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. If you do, be sure to let me know what you think!
This was divine. Easy in terms of technical ability, but definitely time intensive for a weeknight meal. All the same, I enjoyed cooking it and eating it. Creamy with a chewy bite from the rice, you’d never know it was baked in the oven! Even my 6 year old enjoyed. Thank you for another keeper! Will absolutely make this again.
Thank you for your review, Abby! I’m happy to hear you loved it.
Such a good recipe! And I can be particular haha
I’ll admit that I take the “cheating” even further with this one and cook my risotto in the instant pot, then roast the butternut separate and combine when it’s done. I have never been able to screw up risotto cooking it that way and it’s super fast. The butternut and the sage really make this next level and the PERFECT fall dish.
(cook onions, add rice, wine, broth – high for 5 minutes, manual release, add parmesan, then roasted butternut and top with sage)
That is genius, Stephanie! I am going to make this for my daughter and her wife on Thanksgiving since they went vegetarian recently. I think they’ll love it (and so will I)!
I was just thinking “but what if I don’t have a Dutch oven?” and “but what if I’m trying to use up white Arborio rice from my cupboard?”, and there were the answers! You’re the best!
I have to admit I was very skeptical about this, even after reading the positive comments… but it was incredible! I basically did everything according to the recipe (with white arborio) and it might’ve been better than traditional risottos I’ve made. It did burn a little in the dutch oven, but I could easily scrape it off as it stirred in the liquid at the end, and it didn’t alter the flavor at all. Highly recommend.
I’m glad you tried it and were surprised! Thank you for taking the time to review, Marcie.
Hi,
If I cant arborio brown rice can I just use any other short grain brown rice? Or should I sub with white arborio?
Hi Laura! I have notes on using white arborio below the instructions. Or, you can use short grain brown rice.
Turned out delicious! Went “rogue” and didn’t use a dutch oven… instead, we fried and boiled the risotto. Got lazy on the dicing of the butternut squash as well but overall, was a family favourite.
This is my favorite recipe! ever! it always impresses, and it’s just like such a romantic dish, too. I look forward to fall partly bc of this dish. thanks so much Kate, you’re amazing!
I made this last night and it’s fabulous! Everyone loved it! Delicious and I loved that I didn’t have to babysit the risotto on the stovetop. I didn’t have fresh sage, so substituted a sprinkle of ground sage. Will definitely make this again! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Marybeth! Happy you enjoyed it.
This is one of our go-tos for fall. I usually top with a fried egg for a little protein boost :-)
If you’re into the sage/squash combo, have you tried smitten kitchen’s winter squash pancakes with fried sage? That’s our other fave using the same ingredients.
Wow, was nervous about this because I’ve never baked a risotto before, but this turned out entirely perfectly. Thanks!
Fantastic, Keith! Thank you for your review.
Cooked this earlier this week and it was delicious! The fried sage was such a nice addition and I will definitely be making this again. Also- because it is made in the dutch oven with the squash roasting at the same time, it was actually such an easy meal to prepare (I was able to prep and finish it with toddler and baby at my side). Thank you :)
I could only find brown basmati rice and white jasmine rice. Do you have a recommended cooking time for either of those? Thanks!
Hi! I don’t think long grain will get you the same result. I haven’t had much luck with it.
I’ve made this a few time for guests and it is always a huge hit! I almost never have leftovers!! Definitely a favourite
One of my college-aged kiddos recently converted to vegetarianism and I didn’t want her to starve this Thanksgiving. I also didn’t want to give her bland and all straight veggies. I’m so thrilled to have found your recipe and have already shared with friends. Your recipe is now a solid favorite at our home for everyone!
Made this fabulous dish. It was so wonderful, served it to friends and they loved it too!!!
Yum! I haven’t made risotto in years only because it’s so time consuming. Made this last night and it’s delicious! I have yet to find a recipe of yours that I don’t love so Thank you!
Hi everyone! I am excited to try this recipe today. Any tips for cubing the squash? Has anyone tried using frozen butternut squash and if so, how did you modify the recipe? Thank you!
This risotto was SO delicious. Full if flavor. I omitted the parmesan and it still had such incredible flavor. Will be making again.
This was EXCELLENT! We also stirred in sautéed mushrooms, which was delicious, too. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thank you for adding the bits at the end and alternative suggestions – I don’t have a dutch oven, but a metal casserole dish with tinfoil worked great! I also used cheddar cheese as didn’t have parmesan on hand. It turned out wonderfully flavorful, even with cheap cooking sherry and without the sage.
I’m glad that worked out well, Abby! Thank you for sharing.
Very tasty! To up the veggies, I added thinly sliced kale and shredded Brussels sprouts after removing the rice from the oven but before adding the squash. The greens only needed a few mins to cook down, and it was really good. I would probably skip the wine next time, personally – maybe it’s traditional for risotto, but for me I think I got too much of the flavor since the alcohol didn’t really get a chance to cook off. Overall though super good and seems like an excellent candidate for using those miscellaneous veggies!
Thank you for sharing!
Amazing! Followed the recipe exactly and it’s incredible! Easiest risotto with TONS of flavor!
Love it!! Does this recipe freeze well?
Hi! I don’t freeze all my recipes so I can’t say for sure if this one does. I would suggest seeing what others may have tried in the comments.
I really enjoy your recipes! I am gluten free (celiac) and a healthy eater. Thank you for your great recipes.
You’re welcome, Donna! I’m delighted you are enjoying them.
I will never cook risotto on the stovetop again!!
Hooray! I’m happy you enjoyed this one, Barb. I appreciate your review.
Was able to throw this together with a random butternut squash and other ingredients I had on hand. I’m not usually a big squash fan, but this was delicious. My one-year-old even liked it, a win-win!
This was total heaven, I feel like a kitchen pro.
Love your butternut squash risotto! I make it vegan and its delicious So hard not to eat it all without sharing
I’ve made this a couple of times. The first time my sister dubbed it the best thing I’ve ever cooked. The 2nd time it was a little wetter than I would have liked but still delicious. I would recommend checking the rice at about 40-45 minutes as both times I was done well ahead of the cooking time.
Hooray! Thank you for your review, Angela.