The BEST Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto (Authentic Italian)! Enjoy this creamy risotto made the authentic Italian way. It is so creamy and full of flavor! Great as a side dish or main course.

Wondering what to serve with risotto? Check out What to Serve with Risotto (35 best side dishes).

Risotto is often seen as an intimidating dish to make. Maybe you’ve made it and it’s turned out glue-like and hard, or it’s a runny mess! Well, it turns out that with a few tips, you can make Italian restaurant-style risotto at home. 

Love risotto? Try Authentic Italian Asparagus Risotto, Creamy Mushroom Risotto, Risotto Alla Milanese, or this Creamy Parmesan Rice Recipe (Quick and Easy Side).

If you want a sweet rice dish try- Italian Easter Rice Pie Recipe (Pastiera di Riso).

Check out the Difference Between Risotto and Orzo!

How to make the best-roasted butternut squash risotto

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Place cut butternut squash on a baking sheet lined with foil. Sprinkle with olive oil and some of the salt (1/4 tsp of salt) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown (if using frozen: first steam in the microwave to soften and then bake for 15-20 minutes).
2. Once baked- mash half of the squash with a fork and leave the other half in cubes. Cover the remained squash that was cut into cubes with foil and reserve it for later use. 
3. In a medium pot simmer chicken or vegetable stock on medium/ low heat. 
4. In another (larger) pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until it begins to turn opaque about 2 minutes.
5. Add the wine and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt to the rice. Cook, stirring frequently until all of the wine has been absorbed. Add about 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and cook, stirring frequently, until it has been absorbed. The rice and broth should bubble gently; adjust the heat as needed.
6. Continue cooking the rice and stirring gently, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and allowing the rice to absorb it before adding the next 1/2 cup.
7. Cook the rice in this way until tender, 20 to 25 minutes in all. The broth that hasn’t been absorbed will thicken by the starch from the rice.
8. You may not need to use all the liquid, or you may need more broth or some water. The finished product will be a creamy mixture with the rice a bit ‘al dente”.
9. Gently stir in the mashed squash and Parmigiano cheese and take off the heat. Dish the risotto into bowls. Add a couple of whole squash pieces on top and pour brown butter sage 1 tablespoon (or more) over the finished risotto. Serve hot! Mangia. 

Top Tips for Best Butternut Squash Risotto

Do you want to make a restaurant worth creamy risotto? Here are helpful tips from Bon Appetite:

1. Use Cold Stock
   Adding chilly stock to a hot pan will cool everything down and mess up the cooking process. Keep stock at a simmer in a small pan so everything stays hot and cooks evenly.
2. Stir It Constantly (or Not at All)
   Stirring the rice constantly will add air to the risotto, cooling it down and making it gluey. But if you don’t stir enough, the rice will stick to the bottom and burn. Agitating the rice is important because risotto’s creaminess comes from the starch generated when grains of rice rub against each other. So stir it often, but feel free to give your arms (and the rice) a break.
3. Add Too Much Stock
   If you dump in the stock all at once, you’re just boiling rice. By slowly adding stock, you allow the rice to bump up against each other, creating that creamy starch. Wait until the rice absorbs all the stock to add some more. And keep in mind the ratio–about 4 cups of stock for every cup of arborio rice.
4. Cook the Rice Till It’s Mushy
   Like pasta, the rice should be al dente–just cooked, with a little bite to it. If you can mold a risotto into a shape (yes, like some restaurants do) you’ve cooked it too much. Risotto should have body, but not be overly mushy and starchy. You’re not making rice pudding!
5. Use a Wide Pot
   If your pot is too wide, the rice will cook in a thin layer and won’t be able to bump and grind enough to generate starch. Another problem: there will be hot and cold spots in your pot, so choose one that fits perfectly over your burner.
6. Cook at Too Low a Heat
   Yes, risotto is supposed to be a slower cooking process; but if you cook it at too low a heat, it will never cook. The rice should be at a medium simmer throughout cooking.
7. Cook Vegetables with the Rice
   Except for your mirepoix, you should add already cooked vegetables into your risotto after the rice is finished cooking. This is especially important for tender greens like spinach, delicate herbs like chives, lemon zest, and veggies like asparagus, mushrooms, and legumes. Again, you don’t want anything mushy in your risotto! Make sure you cook your vegetables separately before adding them in.
8. Add Cheese Too Early
   Save things like mascarpone and Parmesan for the end of the cooking process. Fat will break under heat and it will be, in a word, yucky. When the rice is finished, I like to stir in some fresh Parmigiano and butter to give the risotto a light, silky texture.

If you love butternut squash recipes, you will also enjoy this Oven-Roasted Butternut Squash!

Does the Kind of Rice Matter for Risotto?

In short, YES! I recommend Italian short-grain rice varieties such as Arborio, Carnaroli, Vialone, Nano, and Baldo (Arborio is the most commonly found short-grain rice). 

Short-grain rice has a high starch content and tends to absorb less liquid, resulting in a stickier, more compact risotto.

If you want to substitute any other type of rice other than arborio and still achieve a creamy and traditional risotto recipe, it must still be high enough in amylose (a type of starch that makes it naturally creamy) to maintain an al dente texture, even after long stovetop cooking. 

If you want that creamy rich risotto, I recommend using Arborio rice! Play it safe to get the result you desire! You can find arborio rice at almost any grocery store.

What Flavor Does Brown Butter Add?

Brown butter adds rich nutty and caramel notes to your baked good. It truly turns up the flavor of almost any recipe and is a great little trick to keep in your back pocket when you want to impress with your baking and cooking.

The brown butter with sage adds a special touch to this risotto recipe. Try it and you will see!

How to Make Sage Brown Butter

Brown butter and sage are a match made in culinary heaven. You can use this sauce to dress a bowl of pasta or add an extra flavor “wow” to this simple risotto recipe!

The process of browning butter consists of gently heating it in a skillet (I recommend stainless steel, so you can see the browning). The water evaporates and you will see the milk solids begin to brown. This is where the magic happens and you see the nutty brown milk solids form.

You’ll know the butter’s ready when it goes from yellow to golden tan to, finally, the color of caramel. The smell is irresistible! Make sure not to overdo it, or it will burn!

The sage adds an herbal note to the nutty brown butter, adding another layer of flavor and crisp texture to the sauce that’s perfect in its two-ingredient simple sauce recipe.

You can make this dish without the addition of the brown butter sage if you desire!

More brown butter recipes: BEST Lobster Ravioli Sauce with Lemon Brown Butter, Gnocchi in Garlic, Best Brown Butter Apple Pie, Brown Butter Sage Sauce, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce, and Easy Brown Butter Pasta Recipe (basil and cheese).

Serving Suggestions

This creamy and delicious butternut squash risotto is delicious as a main course option. If you want to make more of a fancy meal, it is delicious and served with Easy Soft Italian No Knead Bread and Italian Salad Pears, Walnuts, and Gorgonzola it makes a complete meal.

If you want to serve it with meat, try these tasty options: Stuffed Chicken Thighs (Involtini di Pollo), Pork Tenderloin with Shallots and Fennel, or Dad’s Famous Dry Rub Pork Ribs (EASY)

From my Cucina to your table. Mangia! (Eat!)

This butternut risotto with sage brown butter recipe is comforting and absolutely delicious. 

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