Description
This Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage Brown Butter is a comforting and luxurious dish perfect for fall. Roasted butternut squash blended with creamy arborio rice, nutty brown butter, crispy sage, and savory chorizo creates a rich and flavorful experience ideal for special occasions or cozy dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash (roughly 1kg/2lb)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Risotto
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/4 cup white or rose wine
- 4 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
Toppings and Brown Butter Sage
- 2 oz (50g) chorizo, casing removed and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A handful of sage leaves
- Extra grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Roast the butternut squash: Heat your oven to 400F/210C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Slice the squash down the middle and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle the cut halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and scatter 1 teaspoon salt over them. Place cut side down on the tray and roast for about 45 minutes, until soft and charred.
- Cook the chorizo: While the squash roasts, heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the diced chorizo and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Remove chorizo to a plate and set aside.
- Sauté onions: In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. If onions brown too quickly, add a splash of water to prevent burning.
- Add garlic and rice: Stir crushed garlic into the onions, cooking briefly until aromatic. Add arborio rice and stir continuously for 2 minutes to lightly toast the grains.
- Deglaze with wine: Pour in the wine and stir. Allow it to simmer and bubble for about 2 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add roasted squash and begin stock additions: Scoop the roasted squash flesh directly from the skin into the pan with the rice. Stir to combine. Add hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring continuously and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid between additions.
- Finish risotto: Continue adding stock and stirring until all stock is used and the rice is al dente with a slight bite, approximately 20-25 minutes. Stir in grated parmesan and gruyere cheese until creamy and well combined. Remove from heat.
- Make sage brown butter: In a small pan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir as it foams, changes color, and begins to brown, producing a nutty aroma and brown specks, about 3-4 minutes. Carefully add sage leaves and toss for 1 minute until crisp. Remove from heat.
- Assemble and serve: Divide the risotto among plates, top with crispy chorizo, then spoon over the sage brown butter with crispy leaves. Finish with extra grated parmesan and serve hot.
Notes
- Make the crispy chorizo and start cooking the onions while the butternut squash roasts to save time.
- If your onions start browning too fast, add a splash of water to cook them gently without burning.
- The roasted squash flesh will naturally break up as it cooks with the rice, so no need to mash it beforehand.
- Using a good quality parmesan and gruyere cheese helps achieve a creamy, luxurious texture in the risotto.
- The brown butter with crispy sage adds a nutty, aromatic flavor that elevates this dish to special occasion status.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 350 g
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
