Butternut Squash Sage Risotto is a creamy and comforting fall dish. Arborio and butternut squash is simmered in vegetable broth and a delicious sauce is created with cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and finished off with fresh sage. This is a great side dish to serve alongside your favorite winter meals!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAGE RISOTTO
One of my favorite comfort foods is risotto.
I love how creamy it is and can be a blank slate for adding other ingredients or just leaving it plain with a little cheese.
Today’s Butternut Squash Sage Risotto is the perfect fall side dish.
Arborio rice is mixed with sweet butternut squash, cream, Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh sage.
This would even be a great dish to serve at the holidays alongside your Herb Roasted Turkey.
This dish reminds me of another favorite recipe which is this Cheesy Butternut Squash Orzo recipe that many of you love.
If you like risotto you have to add this one to your menu for a weeknight meal or a dinner party.
I also have some other risotto recipes on my site. Give this Baked Chicken Risotto with Kabocha Squash, Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto, or this Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Risotto a try!
Why You Will Love This Easy Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe
- Full of Flavor: The sweet butternut squash is combined with heavy cream to give the risotto a velvety texture, then finished with sharp Parmesan cheese to add that savory flavor.
- Easy Cook: With a little time stirring the pot, I show you how to make butternut risotto in a few easy steps. This is such an easy side dish to make.
- Comfort Food Recipe: Risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods, perfect for the cooler months of the year when you want warmth from your food. It is one of those stick to your bones kind of recipes!
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oil – for the best flavor I sauté the vegetables in extra virgin olive oil.
- Base vegetables – I use both yellow onion and minced fresh garlic to flavor the base of the risotto. I suggest trying to get fresh garlic if possible but if you can’t then garlic powder works.
- Butternut squash: this recipe uses sweet squash to add flavor to the risotto. You also could use other squash varieties like delicata or acorn.
- Rice – I use short grain arborio rice, which is a starchy risotto rice.
- Cream – I add heavy cream to this risotto which gives it a wonderful creamy, velvety texture.
- Broth – I used vegetable broth in this recipe but you can use vegetable stock of chicken broth but keep in mind it won’t be vegetarian if you use the chicken broth.
- Cheese – I flavor the risotto with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I suggest trying to freshly grate it so it is the freshest and creamiest it can be.
- Sage: I like to add whole sage leaves for garnish along with some chopped sage leaves mixed into the finished risotto. Another fun option is to add fried sage leaves.
To fry sage leaves: You can fry sage leaves by doing the following: 1. Coat the bottom of a skillet with extra-virgin olive oil 2. Heat the oil until shimmering 3. Add sage leaves in a single layer. 4. Watch them closely as it only takes about 30 seconds for them to crisp up. 5. Remove them with a slotted spoon and add the crispy sage leaves to your risotto.
How to Make This Easy Butternut Squash Sage Risotto Recipe
Step 1. Saute the vegetables: In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, then add in the butternut squash and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the squash softens. Set the squash aside.
Optional: You also can roast the squash while you make the risotto which can save you time. Add the small cubes of squash along with olive oil, salt and pepper into a bowl and toss. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
Step 2: Add rice: Add the rice into a medium saucepan. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until it is absorbed by the rice, it should absorb quickly.
Step 3. Add the broth: Then pour in 1 cup of vegetable broth, stirring constantly until completely absorbed. Then add in the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Place a lid on the saucepan, lower the heat and let it gently simmer for around 20 minutes. The rice is ready once all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a spoon.
Step 4. Add squash and cheese: Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh sage leaves or chopped sage leaves.
Step 5. Season and serve: Stir in the salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh sage. Allow to cool slightly before serving and enjoying.
Recipe Modifications for this Butternut Risotto Recipe
- Squash: I’ve used butternut squash, but this recipe would work equally well with other squash varieties like acorn, honey nut, banana, or kabocha squash.
- Rice: There are 3 popular varieties of short grain risotto rice. The first is Arborio which is widely available in most stores and what I have used in this recipe. You can also use Carnaroli which is favored by chefs as it has a great flavor and starch content, or Vialone Nano.
- Broth: if not serving to vegetarian diners, you can swap the vegetable broth for light chicken broth.
- Wine: you can add a small amount of white wine to the risotto if you wish, it will add acidity to the risotto. Add the wine once you’ve sautéed the rice, then reduce it right down so that its absorbed into the rice, before adding the heavy cream. I really like adding a dry white wine.
- Cheese: you could easily switch up the cheese in this recipe. I personally love goat cheese.
- Vegetarian: to make vegetarian butternut squash risotto, ensure you use a vegetarian parmesan or similar vegetarian hard cheese.
- Other ingredients: there are a variety of other ingredients that are great in risotto. Try mushrooms, shrimp, roasted vegetables like asparagus, carrots or broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes or even capers.
Pro Tip: Add 1 teaspoon dried sage or fresh sage in to the risotto while cooking the butternut squash. This will add even more of that earthy sage flavor.
Recipe FAQ
This risotto is ready to serve, when all the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, and the rice is cooked to al dente. Check the rice’s doneness frequently toward the end of cooking. It should be al dente, with a slight bite but not hard. Remove the risotto from the heat while it’s still a little loose. It will continue to thicken as it rests.
You should stir the risotto constantly while it cooks. You do this to agitate the rice so that is releases its starches, resulting in a deliciously creamy risotto but over-stirring can break the rice grains. Stir gently and consistently.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat risotto, place it back into a skillet and slowly warm it up on low. Add a splash of vegetable broth or water to help loosen it and break it down a bit.
I don’t recommend freezing risotto, as the rice can become hard and grainy during the freezing and defrosting process.
Arborio, Carnaroli, or Vialone Nano are ideal because they release starch during cooking, giving risotto its signature creamy texture.
I actually love making a roasted butternut squash risotto because it really brings the sweetness out. If you have time I suggest roasting small cubes of squash along with olive oil, salt and pepper at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Risotto
- I like to serve risotto with a side of crusty bread, or warm garlic bread. I also like to add salad to any main dinner. Try this risotto with my Mediterranean Bean Salad, Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Easy Lebanese Salad, Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing or this Everyday Italian Salad.
- Prefer a cooked vegetable side then try these Lebanese Green Beans, Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower, Green Beans with Bacon, Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, or this Simple Roasted Broccoli dish.
Other Butternut Squash Recipes You Might Like:
I love squash season and these are some of my favorite butternut squash recipes:
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH APPLE BAKE
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH PASTA
- CHEESY BUTTERNUT SQUASH ORZO
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH STUFFING
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SWEET POTATO SOUP
- CURRIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHICKPEA COCONUT CURRY
If you try it, please leave me a star rating and comment below, and follow me on Instagram @acedarspoon for more delicious recipes!
Butternut Squash Sage Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups butternut squash, chopped into small chunks {or frozen butternut squash works too}
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- fresh sage, chopped or whole
Instructions
- In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes over medium heat, then add in the butternut squash and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the squash softens. Set the squash aside.
- Optional: You also can roast the squash while you make the risotto which can save you time. Add the small cubes of squash along with olive oil, salt and pepper into a bowl and toss. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.
- Add the rice into a medium saucepan. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until it is absorbed by the rice, it should absorb quickly.
- Then pour in 1 cup of vegetable broth, stirring constantly until completely absorbed. Then add in the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Place a lid on the saucepan, lower the heat and let it gently simmer for around 20 minutes. The rice is ready once all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a spoon.
- Stir in the butternut squash, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh sage leaves or chopped sage leaves.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving and enjoying.
