Date night roasted butternut squash risotto

This date night roasted butternut squash risotto is perfect for a special occasion or dinner for two. It’s simple to make but tastes mega fancy!

Some nights are all about quick and easy dinners like weeknight lentil soup or quinoa chili. And other nights are for spending a little more time and care to prepare dinner and eating something that makes you feel pretty damn fancy.

This date night roasted butternut squash risotto is one of those dishes. 

It starts with a roasted butternut squash that gets pureed and added to the pan with our short grain brown rice, white wine, and veggie broth and cooked down until tender and creamy. Yeah. FANCY. 

I call this one date night roasted butternut squash risotto because I think it seriously makes the perfect dish to cook on a date night. Whether you’re cooking with someone, or cooking for someone, this is the recipe for you!

That being said, you can also cook this up on any night, and can definitely still make it with no date night required. (Like the time I made it and enjoyed it by myself on a Tuesday night.)

A few notes on the recipe: 

So if you’re wondering what type of rice to use to make risotto, you can use arborio rice or any short grain rice. For this recipe, I use short grain brown rice to keeps things extra healthy, but technically any short grain rice will work. (Though I’d recommend sticking to the short grain brown rice as in the recipe, or to use arborio rice.) 

Adding a splash of white wine to the recipe gives a little kick of acidity to the risotto. If you don’t have any white wine, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice instead. 

Now if you’re wondering, can risotto be reheated? The answer is YES, YES IT CAN! But do yourself a favour and reheat your risotto in a pan rather than a microwave. Add a little extra splash of water or vegetable broth in the pan along with the risotto to help loosen it up and get that nice smooth & creamy texture. 

One of the key secrets to making a perfect risotto is patience. That’s right! No quick tricks here my friends. So go ahead and use this as an excuse to pour yourself a glass of wine, put on your favourite playlist on Spotify, and just ENJOY the process of making some risotto! Can you say #selfcare?

This date night roasted butternut squash risotto is: 

• Made with healthy ingredients 
• Perfect for a date night or dinner with friends
• Perfect excuse to pop open a bottle of white wine and enjoy some “me-time” cooking! 😉 

If you’re feeling a little intimidated about the process of making risotto, tasty has a great how-to video you can watch here!

Enjoy! xx 

Date night roasted butternut squash risotto

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Jess
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 2-4 servings
• Category: Main
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

The perfect dinner to make for a date night or dinner with friends!

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Ingredients

Roasted butternut squash puree: 

• 1 small butternut squash

Risotto: 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice (or arborio rice)
• 2 tsp butter or dairy-free butter
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 4-6 cups vegetable broth, heated (in a pot or microwave)
• 1/2 cup butternut squash puree
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• a generous handful of grated parmesan cheese (or dairy-free cheese for vegan)
• salt & pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half and place face down on the baking pan.
3. Bake for 30-45 minutes until the squash is tender. Remove and let cool.
4. Remove the seeds and peel and transfer the squash to a blender. blend until smooth.
5. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat.
6. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.
7. Add the rice and butter and mix together, letting the rice toast for about a minute, then add in the wine and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
8. Slowly add the broth, a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more broth.
9. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice is al dente. Add broth, as needed.
10. When the risotto is almost done, add in the butternut squash, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
11. Divide into bowls. Garnish with sage and extra parmesan if desired.

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Notes

To test if the consistency of your risotto is right, run a spoon through the risotto in the pan. If it slowly seeps back together you’ve got the consistency you want!

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bowl
• Calories: 291
• Sugar: 8g
• Fat: 10g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 6g
• Protein: 11g

Keywords: how to make risotto, can you reheat risotto, risotto with butternut squash