Comforting, creamy, absolutely delicious, and filling, our Roasted Butternut Squash, and Thyme Risotto is the perfect family dinner for a cold autumnal evening.
We love squash season and butternut squash is one of our favorite ingredients to use during autumn. So many tasty dishes can be made using butternut squash. It adds sweetness and creaminess to your dishes.
Risotto is simple to make but it requires patience and love. If you are in a fancy Italian restaurant you can probably get a good risotto with the rice perfectly cooked and tasty. But most Italian restaurants that offer Risotto as just another dish and not a specialty will leave you wondering if you actually like Risotto!
This Italian rice dish needs love, and when made with love and good quality ingredients it's the perfect choice to have a fancy meal at home ready in half an hour.
Even if you can leave some things prepared ahead of time such as the roasted squash or chopped onion and garlic, you want to make sure your Risotto is always cooked right before serving it.
Our Butternut Squash Risotto is:
- Vegetarian
- Autumnal
- Comforting
- Easy to make
- Family-friendly
How to cook the perfect Butternut Squash Risotto with Thyme
Ingredients
Butternut Squash. This is a seasonal recipe that should be made during squash season. You can always buy premade puree and use that instead of fresh butternut squash. Remember, organic is always better.
Thyme. Fresh or dried thyme can be used when making this recipe. We are lucky enough that our thyme stays good during autumn as we have normally good weather, but you can use dried herbs if you cannot find fresh ones.
Risotto Rice. You can find different types of risotto rice and if you want to best results, you need the best ingredients. When it comes to our risotto rice, we always choose Carnaroli. Each grain keeps its shape after being cooked and it delivers great flavors. It's easier to cook than Arborio rice, another widely used type of risotto rice that can easily get overcooked and mushy.
Onion and garlic. The perfect base to start an Italian dish, white onion, and fresh garlic.
Stock. This is a vegetarian recipe, so we are using vegetable stock. You can choose to use homemade stock or store-bought ones. Try using a good quality stock, as this is the main flavor together with the roasted squash that your rice will absorb.
Hard Cheese. We love cheese and especially Parmesan. But the real Parmigiano-Reggiano is not vegetarian as it contains rennet. You can find vegetarian hard cheeses in some supermarkets, they will just be labeled as Parmesan cheese but make sure to check the ingredients. If you're vegan, you can replace the cheese with a vegan version such as Violife.
How to prepare your Butternut Squash
If you are using fresh butternut squash, start your recipe with this ingredient, as it needs more time to cook. Roasting your butternut squash will give your risotto a sweet and buttery taste.
Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F, peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes. The smaller they are, the faster they will cook.
Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking tray and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and roast until tender enough to be cut easily with a fork (30-40 minutes).
We recommend using a silicone baking mat so the butternut squash pieces won't stick to the baking tray.
Step by Step Method
While the butternut squash is roasting in the oven, you can start preparing the rest of the ingredients for our delicious Roasted Butternut Squash and Thyme Risotto.
- Preferably using a cast iron pot, heat some butter and olive oil. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, and thyme, and cook until the onion softens.
- Add your risotto rice and stir until completely combined with the rest of the ingredients. Cook it for a minute or two until it's heated through.
- Start adding your stock, one ladle at a time. Risotto needs love and patience. Add one ladle of stock, stir until absorbed and add another one. Repeat while you keep stirring the rice. Risotto needs constant stirring, don't forget!
- Halfway through your stock, add the roasted butternut squash. Stir and keep adding the stock one ladle at a time. The butternut squash will melt and combine with the rest of the ingredients giving your dish a beautiful color, aroma, and taste.
- Keep adding the rest of the stock slowly while stirring.
- Last, add the cheese and give your rice the last stir. Season with salt to taste and leave aside for two minutes before serving.
Tips to make the perfect Risotto
- Use good quality Risotto Rice. Whether is Carnaroli or Arborio type, make sure you are choosing a good brand. That will help you cook a tastier and nicer meal.
- Stir, stir, and stir. Risotto needs constant stirring to get perfectly cooked rice.
- Use warm stock. If you use cold stock, every time you pour a ladle in, the cooking process will stop. Make sure to use warm stock.
- Use low to medium heat when cooking the rice.
- When possible, use a cast iron pot. it heats evenly and makes the whole cooking process easier. Your Risotto won't stick to the pot and will be easier to handle.
- Serve right after cooking. Risotto is a dish that you want to serve warm and freshly cooked. If you have any leftovers, keep them for 1 day in the fridge. When reheating, you can add a bit more liquid to the pan so it stays moist.
Serving Suggestions
Our Roasted Butternut Squash and Thyme Risotto is a filling dish that can be served as a main. If you want to serve some side dishes with this meal, make sure they are light and fresh as the main dish is already a full meal.
This Winter Salad with Pomegranate would be a perfect match for this Risotto dish.
To finish up your dish, add some thinly sliced roasted squash for a crispy touch and pepper flakes or spice. You will have the perfect presentation and it will make you feel like you are eating in a fancy restaurant!
Roasted Butternut Squash and Thyme Risotto
Ingredients
- 350 g butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh or dried thyme
- 300 g Carnaroli rice
- 850 ml stock
- 50 g hard cheese vegetarian parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F, peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes.
- Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking tray and drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and roast until tender enough to be cut easily with a fork (30-40 minutes).
- Heat the butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the onion softens.
- Add your Risotto rice and stir until completely coated with the rest of the ingredients. Cook it for a minute or two until it's heated through.
- Lower the heat to low and start adding your stock, one ladle at a time. Add one ladle of stock, stir until absorbed and add another one. Repeat while you keep stirring the rice.
- Halfway through your stock, add the roasted butternut squash. Stir and keep adding the stock one ladle at a time. The butternut squash will melt and combine with the rest of the ingredients giving your dish a beautiful color, aroma, and taste.
- Keep adding the rest of the stock slowly while stirring.
- Last, add the cheese and give your rice the last stir. Season with salt to taste and leave aside for two minutes before serving.
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