Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto With Sage Brown Butter
This roasted butternut squash risotto is rich, creamy & topped with nutty brown butter & crispy sage leaves, for even more flavour!
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If you want to make a creamy, perfectly cooked butternut squash risotto at home, then we’ve got you covered! This hearty Italian rice dish is super filling, incredibly tasty & actually pretty easy to make. It’s rich, velvety & full of Autumn flavours!
For more dinner inspiration, take a look at our ever growing collection of main course recipes! There’s lots to choose from here, from homemade pasta, to slow cooked stews, pies, steaks & more…
What You’ll Need
- Butternut Squash – You’ll need a whole butternut squash for this risotto, weighing around 1kg. A small pumpkin will work as well.
- Risotto Rice – I’ve used Carnaroli rice, as it’s my prefered risotto rice but Arborio will work as well. Keep in mind that Arborio rice cooks quicker than Carnaroli & won’t need as much stock.
- Stock – I like to use chicken stock for my risottos, as it has a deep, meaty flavour but veg stock will work just as well, if you want to keep this dish veggie.
- White Wine – I find that a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc work best when making risotto. Don’t worry about using an overly expensive wine though but it should be good enough to drink!
- Freshly Grated Parmesan – To give your risotto the best flavour & texture, make sure to grate your own parmesan – don’t use the pre grated stuff!
- Lemon Juice – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps cut through the richness & creaminess of the risotto.
- Sage – Butternut squash & fresh sage is a classic combination! We’re cooking our sage leaves in brown butter, which makes them crisp. These are a great risotto topping!
- Butter – Using a generous amount of butter, is key for making the best risottos! You’ll need butter for the squash puree, risotto base & sage brown butter. Either salted or unsalted will work.
Butternut Squash Risotto Components
You don’t need loads of components to make a really good risotto, in fact most of the time, it’s best to keep things simple! For this risotto, we’re using 3 components; a Carnaroli risotto base, a roasted butternut squash puree & a crispy sage brown butter.
Risotto Base
The key to a really good homemade homemade risotto, is to make your base with good quality ingredients, take your time cooking it & add in plenty of butter & cheese. Don’t worry if you’ve never made a risotto before, it’s surprisingly easy! I’ve included a full step by step guide to make risotto in this post…
Roasted Butternut Squash Puree
We’re making our own butternut squash puree, for the best flavour! We’re using a whole butternut squash here, which we’re roasting in the oven which gives our puree a deeper, caramelised flavour than if you were to boil or steam the squash instead.
How To Make Roasted Butternut Squash Puree
- Cut your butternut squash in half down the length then scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
- Score the flesh with a sharp knife, in a cross hatch pattern then place cut side up on a baking tray.
- Drizzle the squash with vegetable oil then season well with salt & pepper.
- Roast the butternut at 200°c/392°f for around an hour, until the squash is soft & well browned.
- Let the squash cool for 5 minutes or so then scoop the flesh out of the skin & blend smooth with butter, salt & pepper. You can mash the squash with a fork/potato masher if you haven’t got a blender.
Sage Brown Butter
Crispy sage leaves & nutty brown butter, pair fantastically with our rich & creamy butternut squash risotto! This stuff’s super easy to make and works great as a pasta sauce as well & can also be served with roasted veg, grilled meat & pan fried fish.
To make sage brown butter, we cook butter in a pan (over a medium heat) then add in sage leaves once melted. We then continue cooking the butter, stirring frequently until the butter has browned & smells nutty and the sage leaves are crispy. This will take 2-3 minutes, once the butter has melted.
For more info on brown butter, check out our how to make brown butter guide!
How To Make Butternut Squash Risotto
The full, printable recipe card for this risotto can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
- Butternut Squash Puree
To make the squash puree, we cut a butternut squash in half down the length & scoop out the seeds. We then score the flesh with a sharp knife, drizzle with oil then roast at 200°c/392°f for about an hour, until soft. Once cooked, we blend the squash with butter, salt & pepper then set aside. - Cook Onion & Garlic
Onto the risotto base. First, we finely dice an onion then cook in a pan with butter & a splash of oil, until soft. This will take around 10 minutes over a medium heat. Next, we add in grated garlic & chopped thyme then cook for another minute. - Add Rice
Next, we stir Carnaroli rice into the onions & garlic then cook for a minute, stirring constantly. - Deglaze With White Wine
Now we pour white wine into the pan, stirring to deglaze then cook out for 2-3 minutes, until the wine has reduced. - Adding In Stock
Next, we turn the heat down to low then stir 2 ladles of warm stock into the risotto. We keep stirring, until the rice has absorbed all the stock then add in another 2 ladles of stock. We repeat this process until all the rice is cooked slightly less than al dente. This will take roughly half an hour (we’ll finish cooking the rice once we’ve added the puree in). - Add In Puree
Once our risotto base is ready, we add in the butternut puree then cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the risotto is thick & creamy and the rice is tender with some bite (al dente). - To Finish
To finish our risotto, we stir in grated parmesan, season with salt & pepper then cover the pan with a lid & let it rest off the heat, for 5 minutes before serving.
Butternut Squash Risotto Tips & Tricks
- Use Carnaroli rice for the creamiest risotto! This type of rice is hard to overcook as well.
- Stir the risotto regularly as it cooks. This releases the starch from the rice, making the risotto creamy.
- Roast the squash in the oven, for a puree with a deep, slightly caramelised flavour. Chuck some butter in the blender with the squash when blending as well, for extra richness.
- To avoid overcooking the rice, taste the risotto regularly when you think it’s almost done. The rice should be cooked al dente, which means that it should be tender with some bite.
- Once the risotto is cooked, cover the pan with a lid & leave to rest for 5 minutes, to let it settle. This also gives you time to make the sage brown butter!
- Season your risotto to taste with a good sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve your risotto in warm bowls, so that it doesn’t go cold straight away.
Frequently Asked Questions
In short, yes. Although Carnaroli & arborio rice are similar & can both be used to make risotto, they do cook slightly differently & make slightly different risottos. Carnaroli rice has a higher starch content than Arborio & the grains are longer as well. This makes for a creamier risotto that’s less prone to over cooking (Carnaroli has a firmer texture as well).
Butternut squash risotto is surprisingly filling on its’ own! However, it pairs fantastically with homemade bread (sourdough especially!), a vibrant rocket salad or some pan roasted chicken.
Yes, butternut squash risotto can be made ahead of time. In fact, this is how a lot of restaurants prepare their risotto. To make butternut squash risotto ahead of time, make the butternut puree then chill in the fridge until needed. Cook the risotto base so that it’s about 75% cooked (the rice should still have some bite) then transfer to a shallow dish, leave to cool then refrigerate until needed.
To reheat, add the risotto & puree into a pan with a ladle of stock, cook until hot & the rice is al dente then finish with parmesan, lemon juice, salt & pepper.
The best way to tell when your risotto is cooked is by trying some! The rice should be soft & tender but should still have some bite (this is al dente). The risotto itself should be creamy & saucy. When you spoon risotto into a bowl, it should slowly spread into an even layer.
The key to making creamy risotto is to agitate the rice as it cooks (this just means stirring it regularly!). This releases the starch from the rice which thickens the stock as it cooks, to make a creamy, saucy risotto. Oh & add in plenty of butter & parmesan cheese as well.
A dry white wine works best for risotto. I tend to go for a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc. Don’t worry about using an expensive wine but it should be good enough that you’d drink it!
Absolutely! Simply use extra stock instead.
How To Cook Risotto On An Aga
With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe in an Aga…
Cook the risotto on the simmering plate & the brown butter on the boiling plate.
Equipment Used
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More Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Goose Fat Jacket Potatoes
- Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs With Garlic & Herbs
- Black Garlic Hanger Steaks
- Nduja Stuffed Porchetta
- Crispy Chicken Cutlets With Parmesan Polenta & Salsa Verde
- Authentic Spaghetti Carbonara
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Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto With Sage Brown Butter
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Jug Blender/Food Processor (See Notes)
- Large Saucepan
- Small Saucepan
- Microplane/Grater
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Puree
- 1 Butternut Squash (Around 1kg)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 50 g Butter
Risotto
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 50 g Butter
- 2 White Onions (Finely Diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (Grated)
- 1 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme
- 350 g Carnaroli Rice (Or Arborio – See Notes)
- 175 ml White Wine (See Notes)
- 1 Litre Chicken Stock (Or Veg Stock – See Notes)
- 100 g Parmesan (Grated, Plus Extra To Serve)
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Sage Brown Butter
- 50 g Butter
- A Handful Of Sage Leaves (Around 12 Leaves)
Instructions
Butternut Squash Puree
- Preheat an oven to 200°c/180°c fan (392°f/356°f).
- Cut the butternut squash in half down the length, scoop out the seeds then score the flesh with a knife, in a cross hatch pattern.
- Place the squash onto a baking tray, cut side up then drizzle with the veg oil & season generously with salt & pepper.
- Roast the squash until it's well browned & the flesh is soft. This will take around an hour.Give the squash a poke with a knife. If it slides in with no resistance, the squash is cooked.
- Once cooked, let the squash cool for 5 minutes or so then scoop the flesh out with a spoon then place into a blender with the butter. Season with salt & pepper then blend smooth. Set the puree to one side for now or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Risotto
- Set a large saucepan over a medium heat, add in the oil & butter, leave to melt then add in the diced onion & a pinch of salt.
- Cook the onion for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft then stir in the garlic & thyme and cook for another minute.
- Next, stir the rice into the onions, cook for a minute then pour in the wine. Keep cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until the wine has reduced almost completely.
- Turn the heat down to low then stir 2 ladles of warm stock into the risotto. Keep stirring, until the rice has absorbed all the stock then add in another 2 ladles of stock.
- Repeat this process until all the stock has been used & the rice is just cooked al dente. This will take roughly half an hour. Once cooked, the risotto should be fairly thick but will thin out once we add the butternut puree in.
- Next, stir the butternut squash puree into the risotto then cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the risotto is thick & creamy.
- Add the grated parmesan & the lemon juice into the risotto, stir to melt then season to taste with sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper.
- Take the risotto off the heat, cover with a lid & leave to rest for 5 minutes, whilst you make the brown butter.
Sage Brown Butter
- Chop the butter into small pieces, add into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat. Once melted, add in the sage leaves then keep cooking, stirring frequently until the butter has browned & smells nutty and the sage is crisp. The butter will take 2-3 minutes to brown once melted.
- Pour the sage butter into a bowl & set aside.Taking the butter out of the pan keeps it from overcooking!
To Serve
- Give the risotto a stir then spoon into bowls. Spoon over plenty of the sage brown butter then finish with grated parmesan & freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
