There's nothing quite like delicious, creamy risotto. This Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Risotto recipe is a crowd pleaser and a must-make for fall!
Jump to RecipeThe Best Fall Dinner
Fall is all about comfort food, and I love incorporating seasonal squash into my meals. One of my favorites is Butternut Squash Risotto.
You’re likely familiar with butternut squash from soups or salads, but have you tried it in risotto? This dish highlights the sweet, nutty flavors of butternut squash, paired with mushrooms sautéed in a butter-wine sauce and fresh parsley. It’s the perfect fall recipe, best enjoyed with a nice glass of white wine!
The Butternut Squash
While I love all winter squashes, butternut squash is my favorite. You can find many recipes featuring it on my site, but this risotto is my top choice.
Butternut squash has a unique flavor—balanced between sweet and nutty. To highlight its natural taste, I keep the preparation simple. Start by slicing the squash in half lengthwise. If it’s tough to cut, microwave it for three minutes after poking holes to steam it slightly. Once cut, remove the seeds and peel the skin.
Next, dice the squash into bite-sized cubes and toss them with olive oil, maple syrup, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes. Once cooked, transfer the hot squash to a food processor and pulse on high for up to two minutes for a smooth puree.
How to Make the Perfect Risotto
If you’ve read my blog, you know I’m obsessed with risottos—they're gluten-free and easily customizable for any season. Arborio rice is perfect for a rich dish, requiring time and patience.
Start with the base: melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add minced shallots (I prefer them over onions for their milder flavor) and sauté for two minutes before adding diced garlic. Be careful not to add the garlic too soon, as it can burn. Then, add three sage leaves and cook for another two minutes, enhancing the autumn flavor.
Next, deglaze the pan with ¼ cup of dry white wine, stirring until it’s light brown and removing the sage leaves after two minutes. Add arborio rice and toast it until the liquid is absorbed.
Now, the key to perfect risotto: add warm vegetable broth ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously. It may seem tedious, but this slow method helps the rice absorb the liquid beautifully. Repeat this process until you’ve added 3.5 cups of broth, and remember to be patient!
Putting It All Together
Once the rice is fluffy and has absorbed all the liquid, add the butternut squash puree. Use a spatula to fold it into the risotto, transforming it from golden brown to vibrant orange. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat and mix in grated Parmesan cheese and pepper.
The Mushrooms
The final touch to this recipe is sautéed mushrooms in a butter-wine sauce. If you're not a mushroom fan, you can skip them or substitute pancetta, but I highly recommend using mushrooms for their umami flavor, which enhances the dish.
Have you heard of Shimeji mushrooms? They’re not as common as button or cremini mushrooms, but they pack a high concentration of amino acids, giving them a rich umami taste—savory and nutty. This flavor profile pairs perfectly with butternut squash risotto!
Finishing the Dish
So, how do you prepare these mushrooms? Unlike some mushrooms, they require little cleaning beyond washing and patting dry with a paper towel. Add a few tablespoons of butter to a large pan and allow it to melt over medium heat. One of the most important aspects when it comes to cooking mushrooms is making sure you don't overcrowd the pan when cooking. Even if you think your pan is too big, use that instead of a smaller pan that will overcrowd the mushrooms.
Once the butter is melted, add the Shimeji mushrooms and cook over medium heat for about five minutes. Then, deglaze the pan with a bit of a dry white wine. Like the risotto, this will allow you to scrap off the "burnt bits" from the pan. But remember, don't discard of them as they are full of flavor! As the wine cooks down, season the mushrooms with dried thyme, pepper and salt. Much like the butternut squash, we aren't going to season the mushrooms too much as we want that natural umami flavor to be present.
These mushrooms take less than ten minutes to cook. They don't need to be completely wilted because a little crunch will add texture to the risotto. Cook the mushrooms until they have slightly wilted and browned. Then, remove from heat and garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Parsley, butter, and wine is the ultimate pairing! Finally, serve these mushrooms over the butternut squash risotto and enjoy!
If you are left with extra butternut squash, I highly recommend my butternut squash soup linked here!
Easy Butternut Squash Risotto
Course: DinnerDifficulty: Medium6
servings30
minutes1
hourThis Gluten-Free Butternut Squash Risotto recipe is a crowd pleaser and a must-make for fall!
Ingredients
- For the Butternut Squash
½ butternut squash, peeled and cleaned
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
- For the Risotto
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
3 sage leaves
¼ cup dry white wine
1 ¼ cup arborio rice
3 ½ cups of vegetable broth, warm
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon black pepper
- For the Mushrooms
1 cup Shimeji mushrooms, cleaned
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon thyme
¾ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
- For the Butternut Squash
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
- Slice the butternut squash in half and set one half to the side
- Peel the skin and remove the seeds of half the butternut squash, then dice into cubes
- Add to a bowl and season with olive oil, dried rosemary, maple syrup, pepper and salt
- Toss in the bowl, then spread across the baking sheet
- Cook for 30 minutes, then add directly to the food processor
- Pulse on high for one to two minutes until smooth
- For the Risotto
- Add the butter to a Dutch oven and melt over medium-low heat
- Once melted, add the minced shallot and stir for two minutes
- Then, add the diced garlic and sage leaves
- Cook down for two to three minutes
- Add the wine and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom
- Stir over medium heat for another minute before removing the sage leaves
- Pour in the arborio rice and stir to toast the rice and absorb any liquid
- After two minutes, reduce the heat to low and add half a cup of warm vegetable broth
- Continuously stir for three to five minutes over low heat until all the broth has been absorbed
- Repeat this process, one half cup of vegetable broth at a time, until you've used all the broth
- Then, pour in the pureed butternut squash
- Stir to combine the puree with the fluffy arborio rice
- Once combined and a beautiful orange color, add the parmesan cheese and pepper
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese
- For the Mushrooms
- Add the butter to a large pan and melt over medium heat
- Once melted, add the mushrooms
- Cook over medium heat for three minutes, stirring occasionally
- Then, add the wine and deglaze the pan
- Add the thyme, pepper, and salt to the mushrooms
- Continue to cook for another minutes until slightly wilted and brown
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve over the butternut squash risotto
Recipe Video
Notes
- If the risotto cools and begins to look dry, stir in one fourth cup of vegetable broth and add two tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter
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