Butternut Squash Risotto with Goat Cheese

Butternut Squash Risotto with Goat Cheese is a delicious dinner recipe. You can also add in some crumbled sausage and spinach to make it a bit more hearty. The perfect meal for leftovers.

I love this easy Butternut Squash Risotto with Goat Cheese recipe

This recipe is so creamy and delicious. I buy the cubed butternut squash at my local grocery and then I shred it so that it blends perfectly into this risotto. You can also use butternut squash puree. You can use leftover roasted squash cubes, however, if it is fully cooked, I would add this in at the end of the recipe so that it doesn’t disintegrate during the cooking process.

I love the addition of goat cheese in this recipe. Normally, I use pecorino cheese in my risotto recipes, but I love the combination of creamy salty goat cheese with the hint of sweetness from the butternut squash. The flavors go so well together.

Sometimes, when I make this recipe, I add some crumbled Italian sausage to it plus some spinach because I love the contrast of colors. The addition of the sausage makes this dish a full meal. If you would like more of a side dish, omit the sausage.

I love adding a splash of wine in my risotto. It really brightens up the flavor. I only really started cooking with wine in the past two years and I remember when I first did it, I was just so amazed at how much more “restaurant quality” my recipes became. Honestly, just a couple of splashes of wine in a stew or risotto completely elevates the flavor.

Is Risotto difficult to make?

Risotto definitely needs more stirring than making regular rice, but the stirring is not constant and it is cooked in under 30 minutes. I think Risotto is pretty easy to make, it just requires a bit of attention.

Risotto is one of those dishes that I was always scared to make because it is known to be “temperamental”. The thing is though, I don’t actually think it is. I feel like all it needs is a few extra stirs and it always ends up turning delicious. 

The only thing that may be “extra” about risotto is that you need to buy a specific type of rice. Risotto uses Arborio Rice. Most people don’t keep Arborio rice in their pantry, so you may have to plan this recipe in advanced. This recipe may not be considered a “quick” weeknight meal, but I do believe it is easy to make. Especially on a night when you have a bit more time or on a Sunday afternoon.

How to Cook Butternut Squash Risotto with Goat Cheese:

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 cup Arborio Rice
• 10 oz Butternut Squash shredded or pureed
• 4 oz Goat Cheese crumbled
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 Vidalia Onion finely diced
• 4 cloves Garlic minced
• 1/4 cup White Wine optional but encouraged
• 4-5 cups Chicken Broth low sodium
• 10 oz Italian Sausage optional
• fresh spinach optional
• Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Add butter to a large saute pan. Once the butter is melted, add the diced onion and garlic. Stir until the onion becomes translucent.
• Add the butternut squash and rice to the pan and stir to mix it with the onions and garlic. Add the wine and two cups of the broth(or 1 cup of broth and 1 cup of water) and cook on medium heat until liquid is almost evaporated. Give this a good stir every couple of minutes so it does not stick to the pan.
• Once the liquid is almost gone, continuing adding the broth one cup at a time. After you add the fourth cup of broth, you should see that the dish is becoming very creamy.
• Once the fourth cup of broth has evaporated, the risotto should be fully cooked. The risotto should be soft and creamy, but not watery. If you think the risotto is hard, add a little bit more broth, stir, and cook it for an additional 5 minutes.
• Remove it from the heat and stir in the cheese. You can also add your sausage and fresh spinach at this time too. Then, taste it and add a little pepper to taste.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Garlic Shrimp Risotto

Zucchini Risotto