Butternut squash risotto is the perfect meal for when you feel like making that little extra bit of effort, without too much faff! It’s creamy and comforting with tender, flavour-packed rice and delicious crumbled feta. To top it off, this recipe includes both butternut squash puree AND whole chunks of roasted squash to guarantee that every mouthful is full of that sweet and earthy butternut squash taste.
Gluten and dairy-free?
This tasty veggie risotto is a naturally gluten-free dish. If you need to make the recipe dairy-free or vegan, it’s easy to swap the feta for a free from alternative. There are options in most large UK supermarkets, such as this Violife Greek White Block. Then simply fry the onion in olive oil or melted dairy-free spread rather than butter.
What’s the easiest way to peel a butternut squash?
Butternut squash can prove challenging to prepare! To make it easier to remove the skin and cut into, I tend to soften it in the microwave. Poke a few holes in the skin with a knife and place in the microwave on full power for about 4 minutes. You’ll then want to leave the squash to cool before handling it, but after this it will be far easier to slice!
What goes well with butternut squash risotto?
If you’re looking for some tasty side dish inspiration for your risotto, there are plenty of great options! Why not try serving with:
- Steamed Broccoli
- Garlic bread
- Poached eggs
- A fresh green salad with tomatoes and chickpeas
- Chicken skewers
- Grilled mushrooms
- Honey roasted carrots
- Green beans
Can you freeze risotto?
Risotto is definitely best enjoyed freshly made. Although freezing is a safe option, this can make the texture of the rice quite grainy upon defrosting. The butternut squash chunks will also become much more soft and watery. If you do have any leftovers, these can still be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, to be eaten the next day.
If you give this warming risotto dish a try, I’d love to hear how you got on in the comments below, or you can always tag us in photos of your creations on Instagram @BlueSkyEating. Enjoy! 🙂
Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage & Feta
Ingredients
- 550 g butternut squash (peeled and deseeded weight)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- A small handful fresh sage leaves (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp butter (for frying the onion – swap for olive oil or dairy-free spread if necessary)
- 1 small red onion
- 180 g risotto rice
- 100 ml white wine
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 50 g feta cheese (or dairy-free Greek style cheese)
- A sprinkle of your favourite fresh herbs (optional – I added some chopped parsley)
Instructions
- Use a knife to pierce a few holes through the skin of your butternut squash and place it in the microwave on full power for 4 minutes. This makes it much easier to cut.
- Once the squash has cooled a little, peel/slice off the skin and cut it down the middle so you can remove the seeds. Then chop the remaining flesh into bitesize chunks.
- Weigh out 550g of squash to use in the recipe. If you have some chunks leftover, you can store these in the freezer for another time (you can cook them from frozen).
- Place your butternut squash chunks on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle over the chopped sage and season with salt and black pepper. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the squash.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the squash cooks, dice the red onion.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter or dairy-free spread/oil over a medium heat. Fry the onion until tender (about 5 mins).
- Add the risotto rice and heat it through for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the white wine and keep stirring until it has mostly evaporated.
- Gradually add the stock over the next 20-25 minutes, pouring in just enough to cover the rice each time and stirring frequently between each addition until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the butternut squash from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes or so.
- Transfer half of the squash to a blender/food processor and blitz into a thick puree.
- Stir the butternut squash puree through the risotto until well incorporated.
- Serve and top with the remaining butternut squash chunks. Crumble over the feta and extra fresh herbs if adding.
Please note that nutritional information is based on estimated quantities and therefore not always 100% accurate.
I love butternut squash and sage together. What a great combination. Yum!
This recipe is crazy good! So delicious!
That’s a good tip to put butternut squash in the microwave to soften it! I’ll have to try that! Great recipe!
Thanks for the tip on popping the squash in the microwave – so much easier to peel!!