Butternut Squash Mushroom Risotto (2024)

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Butternut Squash Mushroom Risotto is made with tender grains of arborio rice in a creamy butternut squash sauce. A perfect way to warm up your chilly nights and can be on the dinner table in less than an hour.

A creamy dreamy Italian risotto recipe that’s great for family gatherings or the holidays. Easy make-ahead risotto recipe that’s gluten-free, vegetarian, and comforting fall recipe that’s perfect for cold weeknight dinners. This Easy Butternut Squash Risotto recipe is a great meatless and delicious main or side dish recipe that’s filling and satisfying.

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Why you will love this BUtternut squash risotto

Easy and simple: Fuss-free risotto recipe that’s easy to make with simple ingredients.
Perfect for any occasion: Serve the buttenut squash risotto for the family to enjoy or serve your guests for dinner as a side dish during the holidays.
Very tasty: You will love how delicious this easy-to-make risotto recipe is. Full of fall flavors that keep you satisfied.

ingredients you will need for this mushroom risotto

1lbButternut Squash
1LbMixed Wild Mushrooms – or any mushrooms of choice
½CupFreshly grated Parmesanplus more to taste – or get store-bought (vegetarian-style if needed)
2CupBrown Arborio Rice – or use any rice of choice, you don’t have to use brown rice.
7-8CupsVegetable Stockheated, if you aren’t looking for a vegetarian risotto, use chicken stock
2Stalksof Celerychopped
1MediumSweet Oniondiced
4Garlic Clovesminced
½TspDried Thyme
3TbspOlive Oildivided
Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste

HOW TO MAKE BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Making this butternut squash risotto is quite easy. First, we need to prepare the butternut squash. Cut off both the ends of butternut squash and peel with a vegetable peeler. Scoop the seeds out of the middle cavity with a spoon. Cut each section in half, then dice it into cubes.

There are two ways to cook or steam the butternut squash. Either use a vegetable steamer or boil them a bit until they are tender. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a large saucepan or wok and add in a bamboo steamer.

Add squash into the steamer, cover, and steam for about 12-15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Place the squash into a bowl and set it aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until nicely golden brown. Season with some salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and set aside.

Using the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add celery, onions and dried thyme, and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté until fragrant.

Add the rice and cook stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Immediately stir in 2 cups of chicken stock and cook, stirring frequently until liquid is reduced. Repeat using all the stock, and cook until rice is tender and cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a blender, add steamed butternut squash cubes and 1/2 cup of Parmesan; Puree until smooth and creamy.

Pour the pureed mixture into the hot rice and mix well to combine. Add half of the sautéed mushrooms stir well and adjust the flavors according to your taste.

Transfer the Risotto into serving plates, top with the remaining mushrooms, and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

What is Risotto?

Risotto is a traditional Italian side dish recipe that’s made with rice, cooked with broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. Short-grain rice like Arborio is usually used in making Risotto. You may use any broth such as vegetable, chicken, meat, or bone broth. There are many variations of risotto but most are made with onions, cheese, rice, broth, white wine, and butter. Risotto is the most common way rice is cooked in Italy.

What to serve with Risotto?

For those looking to keep this a vegetarian risotto recipe, you may serve it with some more sauteed or roasted veggies. For non-vegetarians, you may serve this mushroom risotto with some grilled meat like steaks, grilled chicken, shrimps, or salmon.

Can you freeze Risotto?

Place leftover risotto in an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure the Risotto is completely cooled to room temperature before it is stored. Remove the frozen container of risotto the night before and place it in the fridge to thaw before reheating. Use one of the methods mentioned above to reheat your risotto. Never re-freeze risotto after it has been frozen once before.

What kind of rice to use for Risotto?

The best rice to use to make risotto is Arborio or Carnaroli rice, which is short-grain, high-starch rice that’s most commonly found in stores. Other alternatives to these types of rice would be basmati or sushi rice. You may also use barley or bulgur.

Recipes you can serve with Risotto

Honey Lime Salmon
Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
Shrimp and Sausage Skillet
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Lemon Garlic Marinated Chicken

How to reheat Risotto

There are a few ways you can reheat your risotto. We will briefly talk about a few methods of reheating risotto

Microwave – Remove risotto from the fridge and place it in a glass bowl. Then add a bit of broth or water and about one teaspoon of butter or olive oil. Place in the microwave and heat at 1-minute intervals. Mix and taste between intervals until heat through.
Stovetop – Place risotto into the saucepan and add some broth/water and oil. Over medium to low heat, mix and add more broth as needed until it reaches a good creamy consistency and is heated through.
Oven– You may heat your risotto in the oven. Add risotto into an oven-safe pan along with a bit of water or broth, butter or oil, and place in the oven at a low heat setting. Mix occasionally until risotto is heated through and creamy.

We would love to hear from you if you made or plan on making this butternut squash risotto recipe. Please leave us a comment below with some feedback. Also, don’t forget to rate it and share it on social media with your friends and family.

Check out these other side dish recipes that are great for weeknight or holiday dinners:

Creamy Garlic Mushrooms
Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
Honey Roasted Butternut Squash
Healthy Broccoli Casserole
Easy Stuffed Pepper Soup

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