Excellent Arborio Rice Recipe for Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash

This Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage is an excellent Arborio rice recipe. It is easy to make and is packed with flavor. Butternut squash and sage give it a delicious Autumn vibe, while Parmesan cheese adds a touch of indulgence.

The biggest secret to happiness is giving. And what could be more satisfying than giving your friends and loved ones a delicious home-cooked meal?

So, gather your ingredients, preheat the oven, and get cookin’! Your guests will love this comforting dish.

Is Risotto rice?

Yes, risotto is a dish made with rice.  It usually takes a lot of time standing over the stove and slowly ladling and stirring heated stock into the rice.

This recipe, however, saves you time because it is baked in your oven!

Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash is a Great Recipe for Arborio rice.

Risotto is traditionally made from Arborio rice. It is a type of short-grain rice that is named after the town of Arborio, in the region of Piedmont in Italy. It’s also grown in the United States to include Arkansas, California, and Missouri.

Other types of rice can be used, but they may not produce the same results. So, if you’re looking to make an authentic risotto, stick with Arborio!

What are Arborio Rice Substitutions in Risotto Recipes?

You could substitute long-grain white rice. It is the most common variety used for eating plain or as an ingredient in recipes.

However, white long-grain rice has been processed to remove its husk and bran layer. This process makes it easy to cook, but also reduces the nutritional value of rice.

According to Dr. Friedman’s website, white, long-grain rice lacks protein, fiber, B vitamins (B12), Vitamin C, and dietary minerals like iron, found in Arborio rice.

Although readily available and easy to cook, there are other, better substitutes for Arborio rice than plain, long-grain white rice.

While The Kitchen Community offers nine potential substitutions for Arborio Rice in risotto recipes. They claim pearl barley and Carnaroli rice provide the closest texture and creaminess.

You can also increase the nutritional value of a risotto recipe by opting for brown rice, quinoa, or bulgur wheat instead. What they may lack in starchiness, which means creaminess, they make up for by being high in nutritional value. 

You can work around the creaminess issue by adding cream, milk, extra parmesan cheese, or extra chicken broth to your risotto dish. This will help you to achieve that creamy, delicious, indulgent texture that is a highlight of risotto with Arborio rice. But be careful how much you add as you are increasing your calories in the recipe! A little can go a long way.

How do you Make Risotto Creamier?

There are a few different ways to make risotto creamier.

One is to add more liquid, which will help the rice absorb it and create a creamy texture.

Another is to add some type of fat, like butter or olive oil.

And finally, you can stir in extra Parmesan cheese towards the end of cooking for an extra-creamy dish.

What Ingredients are in this Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash Recipe?

• Butternut squash whole or precut
• Good quality extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh sage
• Chicken broth, preferably homemade
• Bay leaf
• Butter
• Shallot
• Arborio rice – Of course!
• Garlic
• Dry white wine
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Parsley

Do You Have to Use White Wine in Risotto?

No, you don’t have to use white wine in risotto. In fact, many people choose not to because they either don’t like the taste or don’t have any on hand.

You can substitute another type of liquid, like chicken or beef broth, or even water. Just make sure the flavor of the liquid pairs well with the other ingredients in your risotto.

Is Parmesan Cheese Vegan?

The Vegetarian Society states parmesan cheese is never vegetarian. They say that “cheeses from a specific location need to follow a consistent recipe to be recognized as having specific names.” This means for Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan cheese, they must use animal rennet.

Allrecipes informs us rennet is usually taken from the fourth stomach of a relatively young grazing animal like calves, goats, or lambs. That stomach is prized for its concentration of an enzyme called chymosin. 

These enzymes are used to coagulate the milk.

Parmesan Cheese Substitutions

As for a Parmesan substitution, you can always opt for a vegetarian alternative.

There is a veritable revolution in plant-based dairy and protein alternatives going on today. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised with how decent a new vegan imitation of Parmesan, or any of your favorite rennet-based cheeses, can taste.

How to Make this Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Or save time and use the precut butternut squash.
3. Toss the squash with oil, sage, salt and pepper and roast until tender. About 20 – 25 minutes. You can do this in advance and refrigerate to use later.
4. When you are ready to complete the risotto, heat the broth with the bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Then keep warm.
5. Cook the shallot in a Dutch oven with butter until lightly browned. Add the Arborio rice and cook until edges begin to turn translucent. Stir in garlic and sage and cook until fragrant. Add wine and cook, stirring until completely absorbed.
6. Add warm broth to rice. Cover the contents of the Dutch oven with sheet of aluminum foil, pressing down so that it rests directly on top of broth. Cover pot with lid for tight seal and bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed,
7. Discard bay leaf. Stir in Parmesan cheese and butternut squash and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Serve warm with a sprinkle of parsley on top.

How to Reheat Risotto.

There are a few different ways to reheat risotto.

• One is to place it in a microwave-safe dish and heat it up that way.
• Another is to put it in a skillet over medium heat and cook until heated through.
• And finally, you can also warm it up in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 15 minutes.

Add broth or water as needed to keep the dish from being too sticky.

Here is What to Eat with Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash!

Make a complete meal to share with friends by using the recipes included in the Double Date Dinner menu.  The menu also includes wine recommendations to pair perfectly with this Oven-Baked Roast Butternut Squash Risotto!

You can also enjoy any of the following:

• A simple leafy green salad.
• Crusty loaf of bread
• Simple Pan-Seared Salmon
• Roast Chicken
• Roast Broccoli

Invite Friends Over to Enjoy this Oven-Baked Risotto

Whether you’re looking for a new twist on classic risotto or are craving something comforting and delicious, this Oven-Baked Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto is a perfect choice.

It’s easy to make, loaded with flavor, and tastes even better when shared with friends!  So, invite your friends and extended family over for dinner  – they’ll love this dish as much as you do.

Get cooking now by following our simple recipe below!

Cheers Y’all!

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Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash

LoneStarGatherings.com

Bake Risotto instead of standing over the stove. It is deliciously creamy!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Recipes

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 – 6 Servings

Calories 232 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 medium butternut squash 1 1/2 pounds or 2 x 10-ounce bags precut butternut squash
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh sage finely chopped and divided in half
• 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth preferably homemade
• ¼ cup water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup minced shallot 1 medium
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ Tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

 

• Adjust one oven rack to middle position and one rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. About 2 ½ cups. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet and toss it with the olive oil, ½ the sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. When oven reaches 400 degrees, place the pan of butternut squash on the lowest rack. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender.
• In a medium saucepan, combine broth, water, and bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover and keep warm over lowest possible heat.
• While broth is warming, melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until lightly browned, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in rice and cook until edges begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and remaining sage and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cook, stirring until completely absorbed, about 1 minute.
• Add warm broth to rice. Cover Dutch oven with sheet of aluminum foil, pressing down so that it rests directly on top of broth. Crimp foil around edges and cover pot with lid for tight seal. Bake on middle rack until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 13-17 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in Parmesan cheese and butternut squash and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. Serve warm with a sprinkle of parsley on top.

Notes

Note: Butternut Squash: save time and use precut butternut squash making sure the pieces are uniform in size, about ½ inch cubes. Roast at the same time the risotto cooks.

Do ahead — Wrap the bottom of your Dutch oven with a sheet of tin foil and press it into shape. Use this in step 5 rather than wrangling with the foil and possibly tearing it or burning yourself.

Keyword Baked Risotto, Butternut Squash, risotto

Shared With…

• Between Naps on the Porch, Metamorphosis Monday #686
• Katherine’s Corner, TFT