Butternut Squash Risotto

5 from 3 votes

Butternut Squash Risotto! Warm, creamy, earthy and delicious! Made with bacon, white wine, fresh herbs, aromatics and pureed butternut squash.

Prep Time15

Cook Time50

Total Time1 5

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: butternut squash risotto

Servings: Servings

Preheat the oven to 400°F
In a large bowl, add the butternut cubes and toss with the olive oil. Spread the cubes on a sheet pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Transfer 1/2 cup of the roasted cubes to a dish and reserve until needed for garnish.
Add the remaining cubes to a food processor and purée. Transfer to a dish and stir in the cream, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Reserve until needed.

Pour the chicken broth into a saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer.
Add the bacon to a heavy bottomed pan set over medium heat and cook until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and drain.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat and add the chopped shallots and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until translucent and soft but not brown. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the chopped sage.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the rice, salt and pepper. Stir frequently, so the rice is coated with the bacon drippings and begins to toast slightly.
Add the white wine and let it absorb into the rice, then add a 1/2 cup ladle of hot chicken broth. The chicken stock should just cover the rice.
Cook the rice, stirring frequently but not constantly until the liquid has absorbed into the rice, about 5-8 minutes. Repeat this process of adding ladles of broth until the rice becomes al dente.
Stir in the butter, lemon juice, reserved butternut purée, bacon and the Parmesan cheese. Reduce the heat to low and cover while preparing the fried sage leaves.

In a small skillet set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and when hot carefully, using tongs, add the sage leaves and fry for 15 seconds, turning with tongs or slotted spoon.
When crispy, remove from the hot oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Divide risotto equally into 4 serving bowls, add cubes of the reserved roasted butternut cubes and garnish with the fried sage leaves. Serve immediately.

The squash will be thick and it may help to add a small amount of chicken broth to get it smooth.
The chicken broth should be hot but it is not necessary to boil it. Just let it simmer on a back burner.
Be cautious when frying the sage leaves as the moisture in the leaves will cause the hot oil to spit and sputter. For safety, use tongs to add and remove the leaves.
Do not use extra virgin olive oil to fry the sage leaves, it has a low smoke point. You can use light olive oil which has a higher smoke point or use peanut oil or avocado oil.
Risotto will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Risotto is freezable but the texture will change and the rice will have a bit of a grainy texture. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat risotto in the microwave, stopping and stirring often. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a non-stick skillet. Stir and add liquid to return to creamy texture.