Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage

A bowl of butternut squash risotto with crispy sage leaves on top ready to serve.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage

A gorgeously golden vegan risotto coloured with saffron, finished with roasted butternut squash & crispy sage.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 555kcal

Author: Louise-Claire Cayzer

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Roasted Squash

1 butternut squash medium
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 head garlic
½ teaspoon mild chilli powdee or smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sea salt

For the Risotto

400 g arborio rice
1 medium onion
120 ml white wine
500 ml vegetable stock plus more hot water as needed
5-6 strands saffron
2 teaspoon miso
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Crispy Sage

12 sage leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil

Metric - American

Instructions

For the Butternut Squash

Preheat the oven whilst chopping the squash to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Tip the squash & into a large baking tin. Drizzle with the olive oil & sprinkle over the chilli powder and salt.
1 butternut squash, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon mild chilli powdee
Chop off the top of the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in parchment paper and add into the baking tin along with the butternut squash
1 head garlic
Pop into the oven and get on with the risotto.

For the Risotto

Put the stock into a saucepan and keep warm on a low flame/heat.
1 medium onion
Add the chopped onions to a separate large saucepan with the olive oil and black pepper, and gently sautee on a low heat until translucent.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil.
400 g arborio rice
Add the white wine to the pan and stir until it absorbs into the rice.
120 ml white wine
Now, stir in a ladle of stock and stir until absorbs.
500 ml vegetable stock
Add a little saffron to 1 tablespoon hot water, allow it to bloom which will create a gorgeous bright yellow colour. Stir into the risotto.
5-6 strands saffron
Keep stirring and ladling stock until the rice is soft with a slight bight. This should take around 40 minutes. You don't want a chalky centre, but neither do you want a sloppy mess.
Remove the butternut squash from the oven, it should now be soft with caramelised edges. Carefully pop all the now gloriously squishy garlic out of their papery case.
Give the garlic a good smoosh and mix thoroughly into the risotto.
Add the miso and nutritional yeast, and stir.
2 teaspoon miso, 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Taste & add more miso or nutritional yeast. Add a little salt & pepper to taste.
½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper

For the Crispy Sage

Carefully fry the sage leaves in a little oil until they're crisped up. Pop onto a plate until you need them.
12 sage leaves

To Serve

Pile the risotto onto a plate, scattering over the butternut squash cubes. Arrange the crispy sage leaves over and serve proudly!

Notes

Do try to get fresh sage leaves for this, they add a lovely savoury herbal edge that's divine.

I grow sage outside my back door, it's not only pretty with its silvery leaves almost all year, the bees love it when it blooms in summer! It's also really easy to grow in a pot on a balcony if you only have a little bit of space.

Nutrition