Butternut Squash Risotto (with brown rice)

Risotto is traditionally made with arborio rice, an Italian short grain rice that gets creamy but stays firm when its cooked, making it perfect for risotto.  It is delicious, but not a whole grain.  When we switched to a whole food lifestyle I thought I had to say goodbye to risotto.  Well, I was wrong!

When a relative from Italy came for a visit a few years ago, she offered to make risotto.  I was so excited because I knew I was in for one amazing meal, but all I had was short grain brown rice :(.  I was shocked when she said brown rice would work just fine.  It was some of the best risotto I’ve ever had!  It takes longer to cook than risotto made with arborio rice but the flavor is almost identical and it is totally worth the time.  When you load it up with veggies it makes a delicious meal of comfort food that is one of my absolute favorites!

This recipe makes a ton (about 8 large portions) but tastes amazing left over so I always make a full batch.  To make a smaller batch just scroll to the handy dandy recipe card at the bottom and it does all the calculating for you.

When prepping the butternut squash, cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  The butternut squash I used had a small spongy area at the top so I scooped that out too.  Then peel the squash with a vegetable peeler and dice into half inch pieces.  If you don’t have a vegetable peeler, you must get one!!  It is so much faster and easier than cutting off the skin with a knife!  Toss the squash with olive oil in a roasting pan or cookie sheet and cook until it is soft and golden brown, 30-40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Cook the onion in a large pot in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil until translucent.  I like to keep the heat on medium low to saute since I always seem to get distracted and burn things.  I prefer the onion soft rather than burned.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the rice (Lundberg short grain brown rice is my favorite brand) and parsley and stir constantly until the rice becomes fragrant, 2-3 minutes.

Most risotto recipes have you add the vegetable broth in 1/2 cup increments and cook uncovered but since this recipe uses brown rice and takes longer to cook, it works better to add the vegetable broth in 1 cup increments and keep it covered.  It will cook faster and keep you from having to stir it constantly.  I don’t know about you but I don’t like to stand at the stove stirring for an hour straight.

Continue adding the liquid (broth first, then water), stirring about every 5-7 minutes and adding the next cup of liquid once the previous cup of liquid has been absorbed (like in the picture below on the right), until the rice is tender.  The whole process should take about an hour.  You may need to add additional water if your heat is higher than mine was.

Once the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat and add the butter or margarine, parmesan cheese, and optional red pepper flakes and spinach and stir until the butter is melted.  I didn’t use the spinach this time because I didn’t feel like fighting with my kids on this particular night.  But if it were for grown-ups, I would definitely use the spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately topped with additional parmesan cheese if you want.

My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

If you’ve tried out this recipe, please let me know what you thought in the comments below.

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Butternut Squash Risotto (with brown rice)

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Italian

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large butternut squash, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups short grain brown rice
• 32 ounces vegetable stock
• 32 ounces water
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
• 5 ounces spinach, chopped or torn into small pieces (optional)

Course Main Dish Cuisine Italian Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings servings Ingredients 4 Tbsp olive oil 1 large butternut squash, diced 1 onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups short grain brown rice 32 ounces vegetable stock 32 ounces water 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 2 Tbsp. butter 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional) 5 ounces spinach, chopped or torn into small pieces (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Half butternut squash and scoop out seeds and pulp. Peel and dice to about 1/2 inch. Toss with olive oil and roast for 30-40 minutes, until soft and lightly browned, turning every 10 minutes.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes on medium heat until soft and translucent. Add garlic and saute 1 additional minute. Add rice and parsley, stir to coat and continue to heat until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup vegetable broth, stirring to combine. Cover and let simmer, checking and stirring every 5 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, and then water in 1 cup increments, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next cup of liquid, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Add additional water if necessary.
4. Remove from heat and add butter, parmesan cheese, butternut squash, and optional red pepper flakes and spinach, and stir until butter is melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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