How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto Everyone Loves

Craving a comforting fall dinner?🍂 This butternut squash risotto is the perfect choice! Learn how to cook this creamy, vegetarian recipe – I’ll show you step-by-step how it’s done. It’s one of the easiest, coziest recipes you’ll make all autumn!

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⏱️JUMP TO:
0:00 Intro to Risotto
0:14 How to Dice Butternut Squash
2:33 Prep Aromatics
4:07 Begin Sauteeing
5:10 Toast Arborio Rice
6:08 Warm Vegetable Stock
6:35 Add Stock in Increments
7:34 What is Arborio Rice?
8:02 Test for Doneness
8:35 Wilt in Kale
8:52 Final Touches
9:14 Taste Test
10:03 Bloopers

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Today we are making this butternut squash 
risotto. It is a fall dinner dream come true. It’s got hearty kale in it, and it’s loaded 
with fresh herbs. You’re going to love it. So, let’s get started. Start by cutting the 
butternut squash. So, the first thing is I like to peel it. So, we’re just going 
to take our peeler, go all the way around. All right. And then flip it over. They are very slippery, so just be careful. Cut the root ends off. This is where 
the seeds are. So, where it kind of uh what’s the word I’m looking for? Where 
the neck ends, it’s where I like to slice it. And then you can take this, 
set it down to be safe, and cut it in half. And then 
you can remove the seeds. Now, if you’re short on time, you want 
to make this on a week night, you can use frozen butternut squash. Just obviously 
skip all this prep and then you’ll you won’t need to cook it for as long. Okay, I’m gonna 
start cutting. I’m gonna cut it in to rounds. And then just for ease sake, this little part, I’m 
going to just turn it on its side and cut it in half just so my fingers are safe. And then that 
gives me a flat surface to slice planks. Again, dice the butternut squash into about half inch 
pieces. Think about the size that you want them to be when you’re eating your risotto. And 
make them as even as possible just so they do cook at the same rate. Okay, we’ll need about 
four cups. I’m going to use my kitchen scale to help me. It’s just the most accurate way to do 
that. Okay, when you get to the half moon part, just slice them into planks again and 
then just go around it in that dice. Now for the onion. And I’m 
just going to cut off the end, leaving the root intact. Then 
go ahead and peel the paper. And then go ahead and slice through 
the half, not cutting through that root end. And then dice it crossways. 
And you have a perfectly good dice. And we will mince the garlic. Of course, we’ve got 
garlic in here. I’m going to use my trusty garlic press here. You don’t even need to take the paper 
off. Squeeze it on in. Scrape it off. Easy peasy. And now for our herbs. Fresh. What do I have? 
Fresh sage and thyme. It cannot be a fall risotto without the two. So, just pluck off the sage 
leaves and then the thyme. Just pull those leaves off of the stem. Definitely do not have to be 
exact when you’re measuring herbs, in my opinion. Start by adding 3 tablespoons of butter to a Dutch oven or large stock pot over about medium 
medium-high heat and we’ll let those melt. Now the onion and the 
butternut squash go in together of course with a pinch of salt. And now 
this will sauté for about 8 minutes or so until they start to soften, which is going to 
create a really flavorful base for our risotto. Next up, the garlic and herbs are 
going to go in. And a pinch of red pepper flakes cause I love them. You 
could also just use freshly ground black pepper for a tiny little kick. And 
another pinch of salt for good measure. This will sauté for just a minute to get that 
garlic nice and fragrant. Oh, it already smells so good. Next up, the rice is going to go 
in on its own so it toasts up for a minute. Stir to coat it in all the goodness and it’ll 
absorb any remaining butter that’s in the pan as it toasts up. Now, instead of white wine that’s 
typically used in risotto, I’m using a little apple cider vinegar. It has the same effect. 
It adds that acidity, a little sweetness and depth to the risotto, but is a really accessible 
alcohol-free option. As it goes in and you hear that sizzle, you can scrape up any brown bits just 
like you would if you’re delazing with white wine. If you do want to use wine instead, double the 
amount since the vinegar is extra acidic. I only use a little bit of it. Give the rice 
a minute to absorb that. And as it does, I’m going to grab the vegetable stock. Now, the 
vegetable stock has been heating on the stove just to get it warm so that when it’s added to 
the risotto, it’s not cold and it doesn’t shock it. Um, so if you’re doing this on your stove 
top and not a hot plate, just have the stock on a burner next to it. And then we’ll scoop it 
in just like you’ll see me do here. Okay. So, the key with risotto is that we’re going to 
add a little bit of warmed stock bit by bit. As it absorbs, that’s when the rice releases the 
starches and gets really creamy and delicious. So, risotto can get kind of a bad wrap because 
of constant stirring. Now, you do want to stir it frequently, but if you need to go, you know, 
step away for a minute. It’s not the end of the world. And as you’re stirring it and that liquid 
gets absorbed, you’ll just eyeball it for when it’s time to add more. One of my favorite things 
about making risotto is when it’s like a weekend night and I’m making a nice dinner. I can have a 
glass of wine in one hand and the kitchen tunes playing and you know, you just you dance and 
you make risotto and it’s a super fun night. My arm’s tired already. I need to work out more. 
The other key thing to note about making risotto is that you have to use Arborio rice. Don’t 
use long grain rice or anything like that that you think would be a substitute. It has 
to be Arborio rice because that is the rice that makes risotto and gets that really creamy, 
delicious, almost pasta-like texture. So use it. Okay. Okay, there’s just a 
little bit of stock left. So, this is the perfect time to go ahead and test 
the rice. You’ll want it to be al dente. So, similar to pasta, kind of have it chew, but 
not be crunchy. Let’s see where it’s at. It’s perfect, actually. So, I’m not even going to 
add the rest of the stock. There’s only probably I don’t know, maybe a 1/2 cup there. It does need 
a little salt, but keep in mind we’re going to add a little parmesan. So, that will add some 
saltiness. And it’s time to wilt in the kale. And since I’m not adding any more stock, I’m 
just going to let this wilt down a little bit. The kale will continue to wilt down. I’m going to add a little Parmesan cheese. and 
the last 2 tablebspoons of butter for a little added creaminess. So once 
these are melted in, we’ll be ready. I’m so excited to try this. I wish you could 
smell it. I’ve got to get a bite of everything. So good. That creamy butternut squash paired 
with those herbs. It truly is a fall dinner dream come true. And you know, my family used 
to do risotto throwdowns. And I’m pretty sure this version would win. I’m going to have to start 
those back up again. In the meantime, leave me a comment below and let me know if there’s another 
risotto recipe that I should try next. I’ll see you back here next week for another meatless meal 
that everyone loves. Until then, happy eating. Okay. Oh, hi. So already perfectly savory. That’s why I like to start with I don’t know that 
that was very logical actually. Scratch that.