Butternut Squash Risotto with Sautéed Mushrooms

Butternut squash risotto is easy to prepare and packed with warm, hearty and cozy fall flavors. Serve it as is with sage for an everyday meal or top it with sautéed chanterelles mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts, and you get a fancy dish for Thanksgiving or any special occasion.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how I feel about risotto. And you may feel the same way too. At first, it seems easy to make… until you try the recipe yourself and get a mushy texture instead of a soft and creamy risotto. Sounds familiar? Well, I’ve got news for you: once you follow my simple tips, it won’t ever happen again and you can say hello to the perfect risotto. Yes, you can do it too!

The secret to become a risotto master?

It might come as a surprise to you, but when it comes to risotto making, time and patience are your best friends. You can be tempted to be a little bit faster than the recipe requires, but really there is no need to hurry. A great risotto usually comes out just fine in about 25-30 minutes.

Also, don’t throw out all the ingredients at once and wait until rice is cooked through. Instead, you need to add the vegetable broth slowly, and gradually, using all the time the recipe gives you. My advice is to have one pot for the rice on one stove and another one with vegetable broth next to it on another stove and keep it simmering. Start with adding a ladleful of the simmering broth to the prepared rice, then stir gently and almost constantly until absorbed before adding another ladleful. Continue this process until the rice is creamy, tender to the bite, but slightly firm in the center. If you need to, you can add a couple ladlefuls more than the recipe calls for, but always use the liquid hot.

Why do you need to proceed that way? Stirring broth after each addition loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid. This is the key to become a risotto expert!

How to make butternut squash risotto?

Butternut squash risotto is no more difficult than a classic risotto. The only exception here is that I use butternut squash puree (use pumpkin puree if you prefer).

Start with making the rice in one heavy pot. Sauté shallots, garlic and arborio rice with some butter until rice is translucent. Then, pour in the white one, add the sage, and stir until liquid is fully absorbed by the rice.

Then have your vegetable broth ready with butternut squash puree. In another pot, heat vegetable broth together with pumpkin puree until completely mixed. This way, you get a thicker broth which, following the instructions I gave you previously (also mentioned in steps 3 and 4 of the recipe) will work just fine in the recipe and prevent rice from becoming mushy.

If you were to add the pumpkin puree itself all at once at the end of the recipe, you would risk this thicker, mushy texture you absolutely want to avoid. This is why I find it best to add it to the liquid. It doesn’t change the taste of the recipe, it just helps with the texture.

Last but not least, add parmesan cheese, to which I also added some fresh goat cheese at room temperature. I like the combo butternut squash and goat cheese a lot, but if you’re not too much into goat cheese, just skip it in the recipe, the risotto will be great either way.

What to serve your risotto with?

Depending on whether you want to make it as an everyday meal or a fancy dinner, you can enjoy this risotto plain, or add a few extra toppings.

Here, I added some sautéed chanterelle mushrooms and toasted hazelnuts. Note that other wild mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms or porcini would do too. And you could replace hazelnuts with toasted walnuts. Add some extra parmesan cheese, fresh sage leaves, and serve with a glass of white wine, preferably dry.

This all thing made me hungry, so if you excuse me, I’m off eating this butternut squash risotto with sautéed mushrooms right now. In the meantime, I leave you with the recipe.

More risotto recipes:

• Shiitake Mushroom and Chestnut Risotto
• Lemon Asparagus Risotto

If you like winter squash, try also:

• Butternut Squash Noodles with Spinach & Cashew Sauce (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Pumpkin, Spinach and Goat Cheese Quiche
• Cranberry Quinoa Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
• Chestnut, Pumpkin and Red Lentil Soup
• Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprout Whole Wheat Pizza
• Red Lentil Dahl with Roasted Pumpkin & Hazelnuts

To go even further, check out the Best vegetarian pumpkin recipes to make this fall. From comforting breakfast recipes and nourishing soups to the best pumpkin pie you’ll ever eat, these incredible pumpkin recipes are sure to impress you.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Sautéed Mushrooms

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Savory
• Cuisine: Plant-based
• Diet: Vegetarian

Butternut squash risotto is easy to prepare and packed with warm, hearty and cozy fall flavors. Serve it as is with sage for an everyday meal or top it with sautéed chanterelles mushrooms, toasted hazelnuts, and you get a fancy dish for Thanksgiving or any special occasion.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the risotto:

• 3 cups (70 cl) vegetable broth
• 1 cup (approx. 250g) butternut squash puree*
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (200g) arborio rice
• 2 ounces (60ml) dry white wine
• Fresh sage leaves
• 2 Tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• 1 Tablespoon fresh goat cheese, at room temperature and crumbled into small pieces
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the sautéed mushrooms:

• 5.3 ounces (150g) wild mushrooms such as chanterelles, oyster mushrooms or porcini
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons hazelnuts, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved

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Instructions

For the risotto:

1. In a large saucepan, heat broth and butternut squash puree over medium-high heat. When it boils, reduce heat to a simmer and maintain over low heat.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and arborio rice. Saute until the rice is well coated with butter, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and sage and stir until it is absorbed.
3. Add a ladleful of the simmering broth. Stir gently and almost constantly until broth is absorbed before adding another ladleful. Stirring loosens the starch molecules from the outside of the rice grains into the surrounding liquid, creating a smooth creamy-textured liquid. Continue this process until the rice is creamy, tender to the bite, but slightly firm in the center and all the broth is used, about 25-30 minutes from the time you started.
4. When all the liquid is absorbed, stir in the room temperature goat cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and remove from heat.

For the sautéed mushrooms:

1. In a medium skillet placed over medium-high heat, melt one or two Tablespoon(s) of butter. Add minced garlic and saute for one minute. Add wild mushrooms and sauté until slightly crispy. Transfer to a plate.
2. Wipe the skillet, then add the remaining butter and toast the chopped hazelnuts until slightly brown, about a couple of minutes.
3. Serve risotto topped with sautéed mushrooms and toasted hazelnuts. Sprinkle grated or shaved parmesan cheese on top and enjoy.

Notes

* To make butternut squash puree, boil the squash until tender, then transfer to the blender and blend until smooth.

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Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Butternut Squash Risotto with Sautéed Mushrooms, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!