Dinner / Italian
Butternut Squash Risotto
Creamy arborio rice gently stirred with roasted butternut squash, sage, and vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese for a fall-ready main course.
By Vegetarian Recipes Kitchen · Updated
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- 35 minutes
- Total
- 50 minutes
- Serves
- 4
Gather your ingredients
Everything you need.
Allergen notes
- Contains milk. Check dairy and cheese product labels.
- Yeast extracts, stocks, seasoning blends and fermented sauces can contain additional allergens such as cereals, celery or sulphites; check the actual product labels.
- Check all packaged ingredients and substitutions for allergens; vegetarian or vegan labels do not establish allergen safety.
Check product labels and any substitutions; packaged ingredients can introduce additional allergens.
Let's cook
Step by delicious step.
Tap a step number to mark it complete as you cook.
Warm broth and water in a saucepan over low heat so it stays just below a simmer.
In a Dutch oven melt 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil and sauté shallot for 3 minutes until translucent.
Stir in rice and squash, toasting for 2 minutes until the grains look pearly.
Pour in wine and cook until fully absorbed, then add warm broth a ladle at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until mostly absorbed before adding more. Add hot broth in portions and stir until each is mostly absorbed. Taste rice for a tender grain with a little resistance.
Continue for about 18 minutes until the rice is al dente and creamy; you may not need every drop of broth.
Off the heat stir in remaining butter, vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper; let stand 2 minutes before serving.
0 of 6 steps complete
A little kitchen know-how
- Keep the broth hot so each addition cooks the rice evenly.
- Fold in roasted mushrooms or crispy sage leaves for extra texture.
Make it yours & keep it well
Use olive oil and a suitable dairy-free hard-cheese alternative instead of butter and cheese.
Storage: Cool cooked rice promptly, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate. Eat within 24 hours, or freeze promptly for longer storage. Reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Follow the rice cooling and reheating limit. Loosen with hot broth when reheating; the grains continue absorbing liquid.
For cooling and reheating, follow the Food Standards Agency’s leftover guidance. Rice has a shorter refrigerated storage limit, as described in its recipe notes.
Estimated nutrition per serving
460 kcal · Protein 15 g · Carbohydrates 60 g · Fat 18 g
Approximate figures; brands, portions and substitutions change the result.
Good things to know
Can I use pre-cubed squash?
Yes—just cut any large pieces down to 1/2-inch cubes so they cook in the same time as the rice.
How do I keep leftovers creamy?
Reheat with a splash of broth or water over low heat, stirring until loosened.
How loose should risotto be?
It should spread gently on a plate rather than stand in a stiff mound. Stir in a little broth at the end if necessary.
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