I know I’ve been kind of on a butternut squash kick lately, but it’s just such a great fall/winter veggie! And when paired with one of my favorite Italian dishes–risotto–it’s even better. This recipe is pretty easy to make; the most important things are roasting the squash and getting the risotto to the right consistency (see here for tips on making perfect risotto).
Time-wise it doesn’t take too long making it a great weeknight meal. You can cook the risotto on the stove while the squash is roasting. Once the squash is roasted and cooled, you simply have to process it with some spices and stir into the finished risotto. Adding the mascarpone to the finished product is also a great move as it adds some delightful creaminess.
Here is what you’ll need for this comforting dish:
Butternut squash Good news! Since we’re roasting the squash and then pureeing it in a food processor, you don’t need to worry about dicing it up. Just cut the squash lengthwise in half, scoop out the seeds, and then roast in the oven. When it’s finished, you’ll just need to scoop out the flesh with a large spoon.
Butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg The butter, sugar, and spices get roasted and pureed with the squash for a sweet and spicy flavor.
Vegetable broth, onion, arborio rice, and white wine These simple ingredients are the key to a great risotto.
Mascarpone cheese Similar to cream cheese, mascarpone adds some delicious creaminess to the risotto.
⟶ the recipe
butternut squash risotto
ingredients
1 butternut squash
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium onion, diced
1 ½ cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
¼ cup mascarpone cheese
Dash of salt
Prep time
30 minutes
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 30 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Halve the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Cut butter into small chunks and divide between the halves. Sprinkle the brown sugar on both halves, and roast squash until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool until ready to handle.
While squash is cooking, bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat until broth is steaming.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in rice, and stir until it’s coated in oil and lightly toasted. Add wine, and stir until nearly evaporated.
Stir broth into the rice about ½ cup at a time, allowing it to get almost completely absorbed each round. Stir rice frequently and adjust heat as needed. Liquid should be lightly simmering, but not boiling or sitting still. Continue this process until rice is just tender and you have a creamy risotto.
Scoop the flesh out of the squash halves and transfer to a food processor. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, and blend until smooth. Add about ½ cup of the squash puree to the risotto along with the mascarpone and a dash of salt. Stir until combined, and serve immediately. Top with shaved Parmesan if desired.
⟶ recipe notes
- I pretty much followed this recipe straight from Eating Well (with a couple adjustments). Usually I’ll adapt magazine recipes to my liking, but this one looked too good not to follow completely!
⟶ modifications
- If you’re vegan or dairy-free, skip the mascarpone and the butter. Instead, brush the squash with an oil that has a high smoke point like avocado, sunflower, or sesame oil. To amplify the creaminess of the risotto, you can add a splash of nut milk like almond or cashew
⟶ make it ahead
The squash puree can be made ahead of time and stored for up to 3 days. Additionally, you can refrigerate the extra puree and use it for another use
Risotto can be refrigerated in a tight storage container for up to 3 days as well
