Make this easy butternut squash risotto with roasted garlic. A delicious fall risotto recipe without any of the dairy!
Plain risotto is good, but risotto with a few savory additions is downright delicious.
This risotto features soft, subtly sweet, butterscotch flavor of butternut squash and the mild, sweet flavor of roasted garlic. A fabulous combination that results in a rich flavor AND an ultra creamy risotto, without any of the dairy!
Many risotto recipes have cheese, but you don't need any cheese to make a great risotto! In this recipe, the butternut squash and soft roasted garlic help develop that ultra creamy texture that makes a good risotto.
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Why I love this Butternut Squash Risotto
- Dietary needs - Risotto is naturally gluten-free because it's made from rice. This recipe is also vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, and sugar-free.
- Rich flavor - butternut squash adds a lovely savory-with-a-hint-of-sweet flavor to the dish. And roasted garlic has an umami flavor that just puts the flavor over the top!
- Super creamy - risotto is already a creamy dish, and cooked butternut squash makes the risotto even more luscious
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Garlic: usually risotto has some garlic, but we're kicking it up a notch by roasting the garlic ahead of time. If you don't want to use roasted garlic you can add some fresh minced garlic when you cook the shallots
- Vegetable Broth: look for a broth that has many different vegetables, but no other added ingredients like preservatives or sugar. My go to is the kitchen basics brand.
- Butternut Squash: this dish would also be delicious with an acorn squash. Feel free to sub your favorite squash or sweet potato, just measure the amount by weight
- Shallots: shallots are like a cross between onion and garlic. They add some beautiful texture and flavor to the risotto. If you don't have shallots you can omit them or use a finely diced small onion instead
- Dry White Wine: Wine adds flavor and acidity to the risotto. Dry white is perfect for this particular risotto, since we don't need to add any sweetness or color. A pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc will work fine - and it doesn't have to be a fancy brand. Don't worry about the alcohol content, the alcohol will cook off.
- Arborio Rice: Arborio rice is a very starchy rice which is why it's used in risotto recipes. The classic creamy texture of risotto comes from a combination of the cooking technique and using the correct rice. You must use arborio rice for this risotto.
- Sage: I used fresh sage, which is less intense than the ground spice. If you want to use the dried version, I recommend only using ¼ or ⅛ teaspoon.
- Salt & Pepper
How to make Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Risotto
Step 1. Roast the garlic. If you have roasted garlic on hand, skip this step. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the garlic is soft. When cool enough to handle, remove the cloves.
Step 2. Heat the broth. Add the broth to a small saucepan and heat on low. Keep warm throughout the process.
Step 3. Make the risotto. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable broth and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute.
Step 4. Add the roasted garlic and butternut squash to the pot along with another 2-4 tablespoons broth. Cook 6-8 minutes, adding broth as necessary to prevent sticking.
Step 5. Add the rice, sage, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to coat. Cook 2 minutes.
Step 6. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.
Step 7. Add ½ cup of broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 8. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Spoon into bowls, top with fresh sage, and enjoy!
Risotto Tips & Tricks
The reason risotto becomes so creamy is the starchiness of the rice. If you rinse the rice beforehand you rinse some of the starch off, resulting in a dry, crunchy risotto - not good.
Leave your rice as-is when cooking a risotto.
Especially for risotto newbies, this step is super helpful. Warm broth helps the rice cook evenly. Imagine adding cold broth to the pan - some of the rice will drop in temperature and cook slower while other parts of the rice will continue cooking at a higher temperature. Eventually this will lead to uneven cooking.
For best results, keep the broth simmering on the stove while you cook to ensure even cooking. Or, if you don't have enough burners, heat up the broth in the microwave.
Since this risotto is oil-free, be extra careful not to burn your rice when you toast it in the pan.
There will be some moisture from the shallots, but the rice will not need as long to toast as it would if you used oil.
You definitely don't need to stir continuously for 30 minutes, but stirring early and often is a good rule of thumb, especially if this is your first risotto.
The starch from the rice is released when you stir, so more stirring = more creaminess.
The exact texture of your rice is up to personal preference, but risotto is classically cooked with a little toughness left in the grains.
A traditional risotto has a little bite to it. Not enough to where the rice is undercooked and unpleasant to eat though. You want a happy medium between mush and tooth.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for this risotto. Thank you for teaching us how to cook good food that is also good for our bodies. Amen.
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📖 Recipe
Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Risotto (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 Heads Garlic **see notes for instructions if you don't want to roast the garlic
- 4 ½ Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Small Butternut Squash or ½ Large (about 1 pound) peeled and cubed into ¼" pieces
- 2 Medium Shallots thinly sliced
- ⅓ Cup Dry White Wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
- 1 Cup Arborio Rice
- 1 Teaspoon Minced Fresh Sage plus a few whole leaves for topping if desired
- 1 Teaspoon Salt to taste
- ¼ Teaspoon Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the garlic. If you have roasted garlic on hand, skip this step. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the garlic is soft. When cool enough to handle, remove the cloves.
- Heat the broth. Add the broth to a small saucepan and heat on low. Keep warm throughout the process.
- Make the risotto. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable broth and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute.
- Add the roasted garlic and butternut squash to the pot along with another 2-4 tablespoons broth. Cook 6-8 minutes, adding broth as necessary to prevent sticking.
- Add the rice, sage, salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to coat. Cook 2 minutes.
- When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed.
- Add ½ cup of broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth ½ cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Spoon into bowls, top with fresh sage, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Ana Velazco
Made it!!! Loved it!!! used fresh sage from my yard. I did use Frozen Butternut squash. Nonetheless Thanks for this amazing fall recipe. I usually cook from scratch although rizzoto/Orzo are not my specialty. This dish came out straight out of a culinary magazine. Chef’s delight.. I will make this over and over and over! Thanks!!!
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for the kind review, Ana. So glad you enjoyed!