Some of the recipes I've developed come from actual restaurant experiences, remember those? Butternut squash risotto is one of them. I was in Brooklyn, NY visiting a friend years ago and we went out to dinner - as we always did when I visited. I ordered one of the nightly specials which was butternut squash risotto. An odd choice for me, but I wanted to try something completely different. This turned out to be the best butternut squash risotto I ever ate.
The Quest to Make Amazing Butternut Squash Risotto
What was stunning about the Brooklyn risotto was the richness of flavor and complexity of the dish. That risotto would come to mind from time to time over the years as I would remember the surprising richness. I wondered why we're not making and eating more risotto in life. I eventually succumbed to the memory and decided I had to figure out an equally delicious risotto recipe.
And so I embarked on a journey to make a fantastic butternut squash risotto. I tinkered with this recipe over what feels like years. Two cups of risotto doesn't seem like much, but when you add an entire butternut squash to the recipe it gets big - real quick. When I made it there was a ton of it. In the first iterations I used chicken broth, but I had a vegetarian friend at the time and wanted to share this with her. Thus the switch to vegetable broth. Good quality vegetable broth.
Did You Ever Notice How Risotto Doesn't Taste Like Anything?
Here's the thing about risotto: it's bland. There is no flavor. So we have to add the flavor and make it taste like something. We must create a flavor base for this risotto. At some point, I decided to try leeks as the onion for this and I hit the jackpot. I've become slightly obsessed with leeks in recent years and highly recommend you start using them more in your cooking. Fresh herbs are crucial to this flavor profile and sage + thyme = winning combination. Fresh sage and thyme pair very well with leeks and butternut squash.
Through various testings over the years, it started coming together and resulted in the recipe I'm sharing with you now. It's creamy, and butternut squashy with the leeks, herbs, parmesan, and mascarpone adding beautiful layers of flavors.
The great thing about this risotto is you can eat it as the main dish (perfect for vegetarians) or serve it as a side with Italian sausage and steamed asparagus like I did here. This risotto is a true gourmet and should be shared with your loved ones. I understand that the standing and stirring can be a deterrent to making risotto, but I promise it is worth that little bit of extra effort. And bonus: this reheats very well in the microwave for an excellent lunch option for a couple of days.
Looking for More Squashy Recipes? I Understand:
- Savory Puff Pastry w/Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese
- Roasted Delicata Squash w/Sausage Stuffing
- Zucchini Boats w/Garlic Tomatoes and Basil
- Grilled Zucchini & Summer Squash w/Romesco Sauce
- Savory Butternut Squash Sauté
- Zucchini & Summer Squash Gratin
- Roasted Veggie Tart w/Leeks & Goat Cheese
Butternut Squash Risotto
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 entree portions 1x
Description
This creamy, luxurious butternut squash risotto will drive you crazy. Leeks, sage, thyme, parmesan and marscapone add layers of flavor. Great for the main or side dish!
Ingredients
For cooking butternut squash:
- 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
For cooking leeks:
- 1 leek (white and light green part only)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage (add at end)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (add at end)
For cooking the risotto:
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 cups Arborio rice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5-6 cups of good quality vegetable broth (I use Pacific Organic)
Mixing the cooked risotto
- cooked risotto
- 1 8-ounce container of mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- butternut squash, leeks and herbs
Instructions
- Cut butternut squash into thick strips and then into small cubes (approx 1" each). Cubes should be around the same size so they cook evenly. Put them in a large pan and set aside. Note: I bought the already-peeled kind of butternut squash. If you did not, you will need to peel the skin off first.
- Cut the dark green part of the leek off and discard. We’re only using the white and light green part here. Cut the root part off the end and cut the leek into small rings as seen in the video. Leeks are very dirty so submerge the leek rings in a bowl of water and push them down – removing the dirt and separating the rings. Then drain the water, rinse once more, put in a bowl and set aside.
- Chop the sage and thyme into small pieces and set aside.
- You’ll need two pans for this. Your butternut squash cubes should be in a large pan. Heat should be medium to start. Add olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir the squash around the pan to make sure it’s coated in the olive oil. Put a lid on it (preferably one with no vent holes), turn the heat to low-medium. Let it steam for 20-30 minutes until it’s very soft. Stir occasionally. Check their softness with a fork at the 20 minute mark.
- In your other smaller pan, heat the butter and olive oil, then add the leeks, salt and pepper. Give it a stir around. Should be low to medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or so until leeks shrink in size and are lightly browned. After the leeks are browned, add the fresh sage and thyme at the end. Stir together until fragrant – about a minute or two. It's done now.
- Once your butternut squash is finished cooking, add the leeks and herbs and give it a stir around. The butternut squash should be fall-apart tender which will be perfect for when we mix it together with the Arborio rice. Set this aside while you cook the rice. See note# 5.
- On low heat, melt two tablespoons of butter in a pot. Add two cups of Arborio rice to the butter. Mix the rice around with the butter until the rice becomes slightly white on the outside and smells toasty and nutty. About 3-4 minutes.
- Still on low heat, start adding the vegetable broth 1 cup at a time. Once you add the first cup of broth, you should stir the risotto continuously until the broth is completely absorbed into the rice. I usually add the salt after the first or second cup of broth. Then add the next cup of broth and do the same. Stir the rice until all the broth has absorbed before adding the next cup of broth. Repeat the process for all 5 cups of broth. Cannot stress this enough – do not add all the liquid at once. Risotto is cooked in an open pot, slowly, over about 35-40 minutes. (see notes below and refer to the video which goes through this step by step)
Mixing the cooked risotto:
- Once risotto is finished cooking, put it in a large bowl. Add the marscapone cheese to risotto and mix together blending the cheese into the risotto.
- Grate fresh parmesan cheese onto the risotto – give it a mix.
- Add the butternut squash, leeks, sage, thyme mixture to the risotto bowl and mix thoroughly. I like to mash down most of the chunks of squash and leave some for texture. This is a personal choice. If you want a chunkier risotto – go for it!
- Once risotto is mixed – serve immediately. I paired mine with Italian sausage and steamed asparagus.
Notes
- For the vegetable broth, I use Pacific Organic Vegetable Broth. You can use the regular or low sodium if you can find it.
- Risotto requires a little patience and the ability to daydream while you stir the rice for 40 minutes. If you’re not a patient daydreamer, risotto might not be the dish for you.
- One cup of broth at a time until the risotto is cooked tender. A lot of risotto instructions on the internet say 2 cups of Arborio to 6 cups of broth. I made this risotto with 5 cups of broth and the risotto was tender at 35-40 minutes. I felt it was unnecessary to add a 6th cup. But everyone’s stovetop is different. Gas, electric, low heat – they can all mean slightly different things depending on your stove. If you need the 6th cup – go for it!
- I know that some people warm the broth before adding to the risotto so they don’t “shock” the rice. I’ve never done this and my risotto comes out great. If you want to warm it go ahead. Either way is fine.
- Timing: after you cook the butternut squash and add the leeks, sage, thyme it will sit in the pan while you cook the Arborio rice for 35-40 minutes. Near the end of cooking the rice, I did put the heat back on the butternut squash to get it hot again instead of just warm-to-room temperature. It just took a few minutes.
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