This butternut squash risotto is perfect for a fall date night! Made with just 10 ingredients, it's creamy, comforting, and filled with cozy autumn flavor.
I love making this butternut squash risotto as much as I love eating it. Honestly! I know that risotto is famously tedious to prepare – add a little broth, stir, add a little broth, stir some more. But on a crisp, cool fall night, I welcome the chance to stand over the warm stove and watch it come together. I think it’s mesmerizing to see the raw squash and uncooked rice transform into a rich, creamy risotto. The fact that it smells amazing doesn’t hurt either.
And when you sit down to eat, all that stirring really pays off. This butternut squash risotto has a delicious creamy texture and a tangy, sweet autumnal flavor from the squash, fresh rosemary, and white wine. Jack and I can attest that it’s a perfect dinner for a fall date night. I also think it would be a great vegetarian main course for Thanksgiving…though I hope you don’t wait that long to try it.
Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this butternut squash risotto recipe:
- Butternut squash, of course! Make sure to cut it into little 1/4-inch cubes so that it can cook through in the time it takes to make the risotto. If you have leftover squash, save it to make this pasta or this soup!
- Arborio rice – This Italian short-grain white rice gives the risotto a wonderful creamy texture.
- Garlic and onion – For savory depth of flavor.
- White wine – It adds rich, tangy flavor.
- Fresh sage or rosemary – Either works! Both of these herbs add cozy, woodsy autumn flavor to the risotto.
- Vegetable broth – Use store-bought, or make your own.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Butternut Squash Risotto
This butternut squash risotto takes a little time to prepare, but the process is simple. Here’s how it goes:
First, sauté the veggies. Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Then, add the squash and cook for another 6-8 minutes, until it starts to soften.
Next, toast the rice. Stir it into the pot along with the garlic and rosemary or sage. Let it cook for 1 minute before you add the wine and cook, stirring, for another 1-3 minutes, until the wine cooks down.
Then, start adding the broth. Pour in 3/4 cup at a time and cook, stirring constantly, until the rice absorbs each addition. After you add the final 3/4 cup of broth, cook until the squash is tender and the risotto is soft and creamy.
Season to taste and serve. That’s it!
Butternut Squash Risotto Serving Suggestions
This risotto will thicken as it sits, so it’s best hot from the stove. Garnish it with fresh parsley, small sage leaves, and freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese. (If you’re vegan, don’t worry! The risotto is great without the cheese too.)
Round out the meal with homemade focaccia or crusty bread and a vegetable side dish. I like to pair this butternut squash risotto with a simple salad, like my Pear Salad or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad, or roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or broccoli. Don’t forget the apple crumble for dessert!
If you have leftover risotto, it will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will be thick on days 2 and 3, so I recommend reheating it on the stove with a splash of water or stock to loosen it up. Season to taste, and enjoy!
More Favorite Winter Squash Recipes
If you love this butternut squash risotto, try one of these winter squash recipes next:
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Butternut Squash Ravioli
- Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
- Easy Coconut Curry
- Roasted Kabocha Squash
- Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Roasted Delicata Squash with Apples & Sage
Butternut Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash, ¼-inch cubes
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced rosemary or sage
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups warmed vegetable broth
- Chopped parsley or small sage leaves, optional, for garnish
- ½ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and several grinds of pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and the rice. Stir and let cook for about 1 minute then add the wine. Stir and cook for 1 to 3 minutes, or until the wine cooks down.
- Add the broth, ¾ cup at a time, and stir continuously to allow each addition of broth to be absorbed before adding the next. Cook until the butternut squash is tender, and the risotto is soft and creamy. Season to taste.
- Garnish with parsley or sage leaves and serve with grated cheese, if desired.
Loved this recipe! This is a dish I would definitely order from a restaurant, but luckily can make from my own home! I just used sage, but next time I will use a combo of rosemary and sage for extra flavor. The most perfect autumnal main dish!
Such an easy fall dinner! I topped ours with roasted squash seeds (from the same squash used in the risotto!). I used pre-cooked squash and that made it even simpler to come together. Also was quite soothing to stir the rice.
First time making risotto but the recipe was easy and definitely worth it! It was delicious! It did take a long time to cook the rice thoroughly.
This was delicious and relatively easy – I made it while rinsing dishes and listening to a zoom meeting! I used pre-chopped squash and I think next time I would make it smaller. Also, I used broth concentrate instead of actual broth – next time I think I’ll get actual broth. But otherwise it was hearty ans delicious!!
I made this tonight using a butternut from our garden. Risotto can be tough for a weeknight, but it was easier since the recipe doesn’t have as many ingredients. Will make again!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was so yummy. My oldest said it was scrumptious and my youngest just said, “wow!” Needless to say, it was a hit.
This was excellent! Not too many ingredients and the results were restaurant quality!! Wow!
This is decadent. This is a “make again” meal. Thank you for sharing!
So delicious! It was a huge hit in my house!
I love this one!! The white wine makes it *so good* 🙌🏼
I’ve already made this twice! It is so good.
Risotto is such a treat for me. Yes there is a lot of stirring but it’s sooo worth it. And the flavors of this recipe are wonderful.
Did anyone have trouble with the butternut squash not softening after the risotto was done? My squash is so hard. What would you suggested to finish cooking them without having the risotto to the pan?
Hi Theodora, how large were you cubes? I might try cutting them smaller… every squash is different, but cubes around 1/4-inch should have no problem cooking in the 40-ish minute cook time of the recipe.
To continue cooking them from this point, I might try just adding more broth and cooking the whole thing a little more.
I remember why I don’t make risotto more often! So much stirring! It was delicious!
My first time at making Butternut Squash Risotto and it did not disappoint. Well-worth the continuous stirring called for in the recipe. It was creamy and delicious, and pretty easy to make, too.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Made the Butternut Squash Risotto! Loved it! Will definitely make again! Didn’t have butternut squash but did have a sugar pumpkin we grew this summer. And home grown rosemary. Turned out great! My daughter makes the same recipe and adds fresh spinach at the end— a family favorite.
It was lovely. I would note, thought, that I probably tripled the amount of salt and pepper called for because I find butternut squash dishes to be sweeter than my savoury palate likes. Any other suggestions on how to temper the sweetness would be appreciated.
Hi Deb, you could try adding some red pepper flakes – the spice would be a nice contrast to the natural sweetness of butternut squash. Or you could switch out the squash entirely and do something like a mushroom mix instead.
The BEST risotto I’ve ever made. Unlike others, this one tastes clean – and less guilty. I made my own broth following Jeanine’s recipe and trust me…you want to make that. It’s so unbelievably good, it’s hearty, healthy and perfect for fall.!
My fiancé and I made this with sage and chives and absolutely loved it! It is so creamy and warming!
I’d love to make this immediately, but as Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up, and both my holiday menus are set — not in stone but in food stamps lol — this might just be part of my New Year’s Eve/Day menu. I’m getting a little tired of black-eye peas and rice, tradition be damned! It’s a gorgeous recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I love all your recipes. I’m not a veggie but my Norwegian family are . I will try some of these recipes when they come over for Xmas. X