The Absolute Best Butternut Squash Risotto

This butternut squash risotto is out of this world, seriously. Perfectly roasted squash and garlic, crispy fresh sage, and hints of nutmeg, you will finish the entire pan in one go, guaranteed!

View Instructions

Servings

4 people

Prep Time:

20 min

Cook time:

45 min

Perfect For:

Main Dish

About this Recipe



I had many nice risottos in my life, but this one is an absolute banger! It turned out amazing, way above my expectations.

The roasted garlic brings it to the next level, and the fried crispy sage is a perfect addition to it. Honestly, I couldn’t stop eating!

This is an amazing dish to make during the holidays. Risottos might not be the simplest thing to cook, as you need to stir during the whole process, but it’s more than worth the effort!

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash
1 whole head of garlic
3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 shallots
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried sage
About 15 sage leaves
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
Vegan Parmesan, optional*

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2

Cut off the edges of the squash. Peel it and cut it into 1/2 inch cubes. Put them in a large bowl, drizzle olive oil on them, season and toss well to make sure they are evenly coated.

Step 3

Cut off the head of the garlic bulb (about 1/4 inch), remove most of the outer layers of the skin. (Don’t remove the skin of the individual cloves). Drizzle with a generous amount of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with foil.

Step 4

Place parchment paper on a baking tray and oil it a little. Put the squash and the garlic bulb on it (side up), and bake for about 15 minutes. Take the tray out, flip the squash, and bake for another 10 minutes.

Step 5

Take the squash out, and leave the garlic for another 10 to 30 minutes, until it’s soft and golden. (Cooking time really varies depending on the bulb size).

Step 6

15 minutes after you start baking the squash and garlic, start the risotto.

Sauté the shallots for 3-4 minutes, then melt the tbsp of butter in the pan and add the rice, the nutmeg, and the dried sage. Cook for one minute, and deglaze the pan with the wine.

Step 7

Then add about 3/4 cup of the broth, and keep stirring until it’s absorbed. Add another 3/4 cup, and keep doing that until all the broth is gone. It should take about 20 minutes. You must keep stirring during pretty much the whole process.

Step 8

While cooking the risotto, in a small pan, heat up about 3 tbsp of oil and add the sage leaves once the oil is hot. Cook for about 30 seconds, until crispy. Remove from the pan, put the leaves on a plate covered with a paper towel, and remove excess oil.

Step 9

The squash should be ready by that time, so add it to the risotto, along with about half of the garlic head when it’s ready, (Simply squeeze out the soft cloves).

Step 10

Optionally, garnish with a lot of parmesan cheese, and then top the risotto with sage leaves. Enjoy!