Vegan Risotto with Butternut Squash

Enjoy this yummy Butternut Risotto recipe for a romantic date night with your hubbie. It's creamy, cheesy and oh so tasty! You'll love it!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Butternut Squash, fall recipes, risotto

Servings 4

Author Happy as a Yam Recipes

1 Medium-sized butternut squash cut lengthwise
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Vegan butter
8 Fresh sage leaves
4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
1 Medium sized onion finely chopped
2 cups Short-grain Arborio rice I recommend using brown arborio rice because it is healthier. However, expect 2x longer for the liquid to absorb.
5-6 cups Vegetable broth boiled
1 pinch Saffron
½ cup Coconut milk
¼ tsp Ground nutmeg
2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400˚F (170˚C) and line a baking pan with parchment paper.
Cut the butternut squash in half, remove the seed and brush with olive oil, then place face down on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30-45 minutes until the squash starts to cave in or you can easily pass a fork through it. Set aside and let cool.
In a large skillet, heat the butter on medium-high heat. Add the sage and fry until crispy (about 5 minutes). Remove sage from pan then add onions and garlic to the sage flavored butter. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
Add the rice, letting it toast for about a minute, then slowly add the heated broth with saffron, a 1/2 cup at a time, frequently stirring until the liquid is completely absorbed before adding more broth. This will take about 25-30 min if using white rice and 45-60 minutes if using brown. Add more broth as needed.
While your rice is cooking, when your squash has cooled enough to touch, peel and cut into cubes and add coconut milk to blender. Blend till smooth. A high-powered blender would work well here. If you have a smaller blender, then you might need to do it in multiple batches. Never fill your blender more than ½ full, or you'll risk having a big mess.
When the risotto is almost done and rice no longer has crunch, add in 2 cups of the squash purée, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, cheese (if using), salt, and pepper. Garnish with sage vegan bacon bits, pine nuts, and freshly milled pepper.

See recipe for Vegan Bacon