Shortcut Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto is made with a time-saving short-cut!
I’ve got a yummy seasonal recipe to celebrate the beginning of fall – Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto, made with a time-saving shortcut!
This risotto was inspired by the forest of sage we have growing in our backyard. The previous owners of our house seemingly scattered herbs like sage, oregano, and thyme in with the rest of the landscaping which is nice because not only does it look beautiful, but it’s functional, too!
I scattered the sage in with sweet butternut squash cubes cooked right in the same pot as the thick and creamy risotto. You’ve got to give this combo a try – it’s divine. Comforting and so fall. I can’t wait to show you a way to shave a few minutes off the cooking time for this risotto, too!
Start with a butternut squash. Butternut squash is sweet and creamy when cooked, and is my favorite fall squash by far. For this recipe you’ll need a small one, about 2lbs to yield 3 cups cubed squash.
Prep the squash by cutting off the top and bottom then cutting it in half (1). Peel the squash then slice the bulbous end in half and scoop out the seeds (2). Finally slice the squash in 1/2″ slices, then into 1/2″ cubes (3,4). Whew!
- Tip: Butternut squash is pretty hard so make sure you’re using a very sharp knife.
- Tip 2: Trader Joe’s, and I’m sure other grocery stores, sell pre-cubed butternut squash that you could also use. Just make sure the squash is cut into 1/2″ cubes so it gets tender enough in the risotto.
Next bring 5 cups chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then reduce the heat to low and keep it at a simmer.
Meanwhile, in a very large saucepan saute 1 large shallot with 2 minced garlic cloves in 1 Tablespoon butter, then stir in 1 cup arborio rice. Arborio rice is short and starchy, which makes it perfect for producing a thick and creamy risotto.
Stir the rice to coat in the butter then add 1/3 cup white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc) and stir until it’s nearly absorbed.
Next add the cubed butternut squash and ALL 5 cups of hot chicken broth. Stir constantly until the rice and butternut squash are tender, about 25 minutes.
Normally for risotto you’d add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring until it’s nearly absorbed before adding another 1/2 cup, but thanks to a recent tweet from celebrity chef Tyler Florence, who declared an attempt at adding all the broth in at once a success, I decided to give it a try – and it totally worked!
The risotto turned out fabulously creamy and the cooking time was slashed by at least 15 minutes. PLUS I was able to let the squash cook right in the same pot as the rice.
Finish up the risotto by stirring in 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese and 10-12 chopped fresh sage leaves.
Scoop onto plates, then devour!
I just adore the seasonal flavors in this creamy risotto, and hope you enjoy it too!
More Creamy Risotto Recipes
- Easy Mushroom Risotto
- Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto
- Tomato Basil Risotto
- Sweet Corn Risotto
- Bacon, Leek and Mushroom Risotto
- Lighter Chicken Piccata Risotto with Crispy Capers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 3 cups 1/2" cubed butternut squash
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 10 - 12 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then turn heat to low and keep at a simmer.
- In a large saucepan heat butter then add shallot, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until tender, 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds. Add rice then stir to coat and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add wine then stir until nearly absorbed. Add butternut squash and heated chicken broth. Turn heat up just slightly then stir constantly until rice and squash are tender, and nearly all the broth is absorbed, about 25 minutes. If broth gets to a hard boil, turn heat back down. Remove pan from heat then stir in sage and parmesan cheese then serve.
Notes
- Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Can you recommend a substitute for the chicken broth, since that makes the recipe non-vegeterian?
Vegetable broth.
Can I leave the wine out? Would I have to increase the liquid if I did?
Definitely! And yep, you’d just increase the broth amount by 1/3 cup. I hope you love it!
This was delicious tonight! Can I freeze some for another time? Please answer soon. Thanks
Hi Renee! I think that could work!
Just made this tonight and it was fantastic! Followed the directions exactly and it turned out perfectly creamy. The boyfriend was skeptical of the butternut squash and sage, but he absolutely loved it! Thanks for another great recipe :)
I made this tonight and it was delicious but despite constant stirring there was still a lot of liquid remaining after 30 minutes. I think this warrants another try, maybe with the old fashioned “slow” technique :)
First time ever making!! Best ever!! Great recipe!! It was soooo perfect we ate the whole thing between 3 of us!!!
made pretty much as directed, just added a chopped onion, it ended up soooo soupy… Kept hoping it would come together, but it didn’t. Since regular risotto requires constant stirring as well, I think i’ll just stick to that and not take the short cut. I will say the flavors were great!
LOVE love love the pics of you and Lincoln- so sweet! Also about died laughing with the pic of Ben and the bottle of vino! Hilarious. I have tried to cook with squash once and it made my hands really burn-ey and dry? Haven’t wanted to touch it since. Side note, I find it funny and rude that ppl feel the need to tell you things like sage can decrease your supply. Seriously, I was just shaking my head! And I am a BF advocate, just really can’t stand that ppl try to make it harder than it is.
Such cute baby love, tiny baby kisses are the sweetest.
Oh my gosh, he looks at the camera! So Cute!
I happen to have a squash sitting in my pantry, and i was wondering what i was going to do with it, haha!
Does it matter what kind of white wine? I’ve never made risotto before (or cooked with wine before for that matter).
Any white wine should be fine except for a sweet wine like Riesling!
I made this tonight and it was amazing!! Mine didn’t look as good as yours but it tasted great and it was pretty easy to make!
Thank you for the great recipe!