Make this butternut squash risotto with petit pois peas for lunch. Don’t cut down or stop having carbs just because summer is around the corner. You can have risotto that doesn’t leave your mind clogged with feelings of guilt wishing you hadn’t. And you can take a break from tomato or meat-based sauces or pasta dishes with this butternut squash risotto.
Is it warm where you are? If it is, perhaps you can have this for lunch instead of dinner. Because I find risotto to be quite on the heavier or filling side. Plus if you will be wiping the veggie sauces off with some sourdough bread then send it on its way with some sweet white wine.
For this butternut squash recipe, I used vegetable stockpot and not vegetable stock when making the risotto. However, if using vegetable stock it should be 840ml. Otherwise, should you also be using a vegetable stockpot then just boil 840 ml of water.
It is important to keep the water/vegetable stock if using hot. To maintain the temperature of the cooking rice, you don’t need to have the water in a pot over the stove. You could use a kettle and remember to press the ‘keep warm’ option.
An alternative if you would rather not have a butternut squash purée would be to evenly dice the squash and add it to the rice from the beginning so they simmer together. But remember that you may need more than 840ml of water/vegetable stock for the risotto.
How to Alter Butternut Squash Risotto for Children.
1. No need for that splash of wine after toasting the rice
2. I use butter to give the dish a smooth finish, but you don’t have to add this for the kids.
3. You could reduce the butternut squash amount by half and substitute that with carrots instead.
Accompaniment?
Want some wine to go with it? I’m no sommelier but I would recommend a sweet white.
For some inexplicable reason, I like to have bread with the risotto? I won’t make a fuss if we are having pasta and there is no bread. But risotto without bread just feels incomplete to me… Anyway, if you feel the same, grab some ciabatta or some crusty boule.
Leftover Risotto?
“What to do with leftovers?” Risotto, in my opinion, is one of those dishes that you either eat straight off the stove or not at all. Ehm ehm arancini and sartu are exceptions.
Please give the butternut squash risotto and peas recipe a thumbs up below.
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Want Another Risotto Recipe?
Risotto with Asparagus
Another family-friendly veggie-based recipe with asparagus, and a rich creamy risotto.
Butternut squash risotto and peas
(+5 rating, 1 votes)
Loading...A healthy risotto with butternut squash purée and sweet petit pois peas.
Ingredients
- BUTTERNUT SQUASH PURÉE
- 1 tbsp red onion
- 50g finely diced mirepoix (35g carrots & 15g celery)
- 260g diced butternut squash
- 400ml water
- RISOTTO
- 2 tbsp finely diced brown onion
- 150g arborio or carnaroli rice
- 30ml dry white wine
- 840ml vegetable stock
- 60g petit pois peas
- Parmesan rind (optional)
- 50g grated parmesan
- salt to taste
- Knob of butter
Instructions
Bring 840ml water (or 840ml of vegetable stock if using) to a boil, then set to simmer to keep it hot for the rice. In the meantime, prepare the butternut squash.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH PREP
Sauté the onions with 3 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until soft.
Add in the mirepoix to sauté for 3 min before tossing in the squash. Stir and leave to pan fry for about 5 minutes.
Pour in 400ml of water with a pinch of salt, cover, and leave to boil on high heat for 25 minutes as you prepare the risotto.
RISOTTO
Sauté 2 tbsp onions with 4 tbsp olive oil until soft in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat
Toss in the rice to toast for about 2 minutes, do not let the onions or rice brown.
Pour in the wine, stir and wait until it evaporates then add the parmesan rind and a ladleful of the hot water/vegetable stock over the rice. Gently stir and increase the heat to high.
Keep adding ladlefuls of hot water/vegetable stock over the rice when it reduces and not too much at one go. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking
Add the peas to the rice after 18 minutes of the rice boiling, so the peas can cook for about 8-9 minutes.
When the butternut squash is ready, purée until smooth then pour it over the rice.
Take the rice off the fire when ready and add the grated parmesan and butter. Stir well to combine and serve
You could add a few twists of freshly ground black pepper.
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