Every once in a while, I dabble with the idea of moving towards more of a vegetarian diet. We don’t eat meat with every meal, but close to it. Most dinners are normally centered around a protein. I remember the first time that I told my husband that I wanted to start having a “Meatless Monday” dinner. To my surprise, he was totally okay with it. See, the one thing that I really feel is lacking from our diets are vegetables. I figured that if we had 1-2 meals a week that are centered around vegetables, it would be a sure-fire way to increase our veggie intake. And how is anyone going to be upset if meatless Mondays include things like this delicious Butternut Squash & Sweet Pea Risotto?

When I was first making this risotto, I had thought about adding chicken, but then I changed my mind. Obviously, you could totally add chicken if you wanted to. But I decided to let some perfectly roasted butternut squash and sweet peas be the stars of the show instead. And to be perfectly honest, we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything at all. This risotto would make an excellent side dish to a protein, but we thoroughly enjoyed it as a main dish.

So let me show you how I made this Butternut Squash & Sweet Pea Risotto 👇🏻

Before you start:

First, start with 2 cups roasted butternut squash. I roasted mine in the oven with a little bit of oil and a little bit of salt and pepper. Super simple.

Now to the risotto. I always start my risottos basically the same way. Pour the 3 1/2 cups of broth that you will be using into a sauce pan and heat it on low (so that it is warmed) until you are ready to add it to the risotto.

Begin cooking:

To a large high-walled skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp of unsalted butter. Add 1/2 of a diced onion and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Then add the 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Now add 1 cup Arborio rice and toast it in the pan. You don’t want to brown the rice, just lightly toast. Stir it constantly and let it toast for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup of white wine to the skillet. Cook until the wine is absorbed, stirring frequently.

When the rice has absorbed the wine, ladle about 1 cup of the warmed broth into the skillet. Let the rice simmer in the broth until it has been absorbed and the rice begins to look dry again. Then ladle about another cup of the broth into the skillet and let it simmer until absorbed again. Keep repeating this process. Do not rush it. Keep the skillet at a low simmer so the risotto will be nice and creamy.

When the last bit of broth is in the skillet and almost fully absorbed, add 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and then stir.

Next, add 1/2 cup sweet peas.

Once the peas are heated through, remove the skillet from the heat. Add the 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and stir well.

Finally, add the roasted butternut squash (should be warm) and the parsley.

Divide the risotto between the bowls and top with a little more fresh grated parmesan cheese and some chopped fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash & Sweet Pea Risotto

Creamy, cheesy, and delicious. This Butternut Squash & Sweet Pea Risotto feels both homey and elegant. It will be one of your new favorites!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings 4 Servings

Author Maggie @ Cupcakes and Sarcasm

Ingredients

1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1/2 Sweet Onion, diced
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine Can substitute with more broth
3 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or Vegetable Broth)
1/2 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese + more for topping
1/2 Cup Frozen Sweet Peas
2 Cups Roasted Butternut Squash
1/4 Tsp Ground Tumeric
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley + more for serving

Instructions

Pour the broth into a sauce pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to add to the risotto.
In a large, high-walled skillet over medium heat, add the EVOO and butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the Arborio rice to the skillet and toast the rice, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the rice burn, just lightly toast.
Add the white wine and cook until the wine evaporates, stirring occasionally. When the wine has evaporated and the rice is beginning to look dry, add a ladle or 2 of the warmed broth to the rice.
Cook until the broth has evaporated, stirring often, until the rice begins to look dry again. Keep adding the broth about one cup at a time until it cooks down. Do not rush this process, this is what gives the risotto its creamy texture.
When there is still a little bit of the last amount of broth left in the skillet, add the turmeric, salt and pepper and stir.
Then add the peas and the parmesan. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the risotto is no longer runny. Risotto should be creamy and cheesy. Remove from heat.
Add the roasted butternut squash and the parsley and stir. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Divide the risotto between bowls and top with a little extra parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!