Butternut Squash Risotto with Cheese and Sage. Because it’s getting chilly outside and technically winter is arriving sooner than we think, I needed to make a classic Autumn dish using my butternut squash. So I decided to make a classic risotto, with butternut squash, parmigiano-reggiano cheese and fresh sage. This is the ultimate comfort food!
Rich and creamy Arborio rice with chunks of butternut squash along with the savory mouth-filling flavor from grated parmigiano cheese, and the aromatic flavor of fresh sage makes this an outstanding dish to serve on a chilly night. It’s really yummy!
Even though restaurants will serve their risotto dishes as an appetizer or as a side dish. We prefer to serve risotto as our main course. Butternut Squash Risotto makes a hearty dish, filling enough for a main meal. Perfect to serve with a glass of white wine, like a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay and a green salad to complete the dinner. YUM!
This risotto really turned out terrific! Better than I expected, even the picky eaters in my family loved it. It’s fantastic for a meatless Friday and especially for vegetarians!
We love risotto. One of our all-time favorite risotto is Risotto Primavera and another delicious one for you to try is Risotto con Funghi (Mushrooms).
Here’s a tip: Always look for pre-cut packages of the butternut squash in your supermarket. They save a lot of time in the prep work. Then dice into 1/2 inch pieces. Also, a small butternut squash usually yields 3 to 4 cups when diced, just freeze the remaining cups for future use in soups and stews.
Enjoy, and have a wonderful weekend!
Butternut Squash Risotto with Cheese and Sage (Risotto alla Zucca)
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups winter squash- peeled, seeded and diced
- 3/4 cup onion – finely chopped
- 1+ 3/4 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 6 cups vegetable broth- simmering
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tsp. fresh sage- finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley – finely chopped
In a large sauté pan over medium heat to low heat, add olive oil and melt butter. Add squash and onion. Gently sauté for about 5 minutes, until onion becomes translucent.
Add rice and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until rice browns slightly, about 5 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer until liquid evaporates.
Add 1/2 of the simmering broth all at once to the rice. Raise the heat to bring to a boil. Cook the rice for about 15 minutes, stirring often. As the rice absorbs the broth, add some more, a little at a time.
Be careful not to add too much broth at the end of the cooking time. The rice should be naturally creamy, not swimming in broth or dry.
Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and the sage. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley and serve with more grated cheese at the table.
Serves 4 to 6
3 Comments
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
March 20, 2013 at 2:56 pmSome day I will have to make risotto. I don't know why this scares me! Ha ha – your risotto is beautiful!
Val
October 25, 2013 at 4:54 pmRisotto is one of my all time favorite eats. This looks yummy.
Joanne
October 26, 2013 at 1:20 pmI make butternut squash risotto every fall! Such a hearty comfort food.