Butternut Squash Risotto Crispy Sage (Printable)

Creamy Arborio rice cooked with roasted butternut squash and topped with crispy sage leaves.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium butternut squash (2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and diced into 0.4-inch cubes
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Rice & Broth

04 - 1½ cups Arborio rice
05 - 5 cups vegetable stock, kept warm

→ Dairy

06 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
07 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

→ Aromatics & Herbs

08 - 12–15 fresh sage leaves
09 - 2 tbsp olive oil

→ Seasoning

10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss diced squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until tender and golden. Set aside.
02 - Heat 2 tbsp butter and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sage leaves in a single layer and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
03 - Using the same pan, add onion and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in garlic and cook an additional minute.
04 - Add Arborio rice to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly until grains become glossy and well coated.
05 - Ladle warm vegetable stock into the rice mixture one cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing liquid to absorb before adding the next. Continue for 18 to 20 minutes until the rice is creamy and al dente.
06 - Gently fold roasted butternut squash into the rice. Stir in remaining 2 tbsp butter and grated Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Serve immediately, topped with crispy sage leaves and additional Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The rice becomes luxuriously creamy while the squash stays tender without dissolving into mush, giving you texture in every spoonful.
  • Crispy sage leaves add a crackling surprise that makes people think you've spent hours in the kitchen, when really you've just learned the right moment to stop stirring.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but honest enough to eat alone on a Wednesday night without apology.
02 -
  • Stirring frequently but not constantly is the real trick—you need movement to release starch, but obsessive stirring can turn it gluey, so find a rhythm that feels natural and stick with it.
  • If your risotto seems too thick at the end, don't panic; loosen it with a splash of warm stock rather than water, which would dilute the flavor you've built over those 20 minutes.
  • The squash must be roasted separately or it'll release moisture and water down your risotto, turning it soupy instead of creamy.
03 -
  • Stir your stock just before adding it to keep the bottom from settling into a starchy layer that makes everything cloudy instead of translucent.
  • Use a wooden spoon rather than a metal one; it's gentler on the rice grains and feels more like cooking with intention than rushing through a task.
  • If you want deeper flavor, replace half the vegetable stock with dry white wine added right after you toast the rice—it adds complexity that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is.

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