Prepare yourselves for a show stopping dish! This Baked Squash Risotto is the ultimate cozy vibed main course that will wow any dinner party guests. A creamy squash risotto with an entire wheel of camembert nestled into the rice and baked to perfection. Trust me, make this!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
If you've been around WGC for a while, you know risotto is near and dear to my heart. It's one of the first recipes I ever mastered in culinary school and it's one of my favorite ways to show people I love them! It's not a complicated dish, but it takes a little TLC and the end result is absolute perfection. Tender rice (in this case flavored with squash) and cheese and a hint of acid to make all the flavors shine. I love it so much and this Baked Squash Risotto makes my heart sing. Plus there is an entire wheel of camembert nestled into the baking dish and that just feels like the extra decadence we all deserve.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Delicata Squash
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Butternut squash
- Vegetable stock
- Yellow Onion - you're welcome to use shallots if you prefer
- Garlic
- Fresh Sage
- Arborio rice - this is my favorite brand we've been using since my culinary school days
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Camembert cheese
- Lemon juice
- Wild arugula or baby spinach. This is used for garnish so use whichever you prefer
How to Make
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roast the sliced delicata squash with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cubed butternut squash and stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the butternut squash is fork tender. Remove from heat, carefully puree with an immersion blender and set aside. It should equal 4 cups, if not add stock to make 4 cups worth
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in an oven proof braiser or skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and sage, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the garlic and rice; stir to coat and toast for 2 minutes. Carefully pour in the butternut squash mixture and half the parmesan cheese, stir to combine and season to taste
- Cover the dish with foil or a fitted lid. Transfer the risotto to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, stirring gently halfway through cooking time and add ½ cup of water or stock. Tuck the delicata squash into the braiser, pushing them in slightly; place camembert in the center. Transfer the Baked Squash Risotto back into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender
- Combine wild arugula, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl and season to taste. Serve the Baked Squash Risotto topped with remaining parmesan and accompany with the arugula mixture on top or on the side
Tips & Tricks
A couple of things to talk about when it comes to the squash in this Baked Squash Risotto dish:
Butternut squash - I know it's tempting to buy the pre-cut butternut squash from the store so if you do that, look for one that's dark color and not slimy for max flavor. If it's slimy, there's a chance it's gone bad.
Delicata Squash - yes you can eat the skin! So just go ahead and slice it with the skin on, scoop out the insides and you're in business. The skin is thin and edible and gorgeous.
FAQ's
Is risotto a pasta or rice?
Risotto is a rice dish.
What kind of rice do you use for risotto?
Arborio rice is the most common rice for risotto and the easiest to find.
Can you bake risotto?
Yes! Risotto is traditionally cooked by simmering rice in a pan and gradually adding broth until cooked. However, you can bake risotto with similar results without having to stir frequently. This Baked Squash Risotto is a great example as the liquid and rice gets mixed together and then baked so the rice slowly absorbs the liquid until perfectly cooked.
Similar Recipes
Baked Squash Risotto
Ingredients
For the Delicata Squash
- 1 delicata squash seeds removed, cut into half moons
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the Risotto
- 3.5 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 4 sage leaves
- 1.5 cups arborio rice
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounce whole camembert cheese top cut into a cross hatch pattern
To Garnish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup wild arugula
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roast the sliced delicata squash with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 15-20 minutes. Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven to 350°F.
- Place the cubed butternut squash and stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the butternut squash is fork tender. Remove from heat, carefully puree with an immersion blender and set aside. It should equal 4 cups, if not add stock to make 4 cups worth
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in an oven proof braiser or skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and sage, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the garlic and rice; stir to coat and toast for 2 minutes. Carefully pour in the butternut squash mixture and half the parmesan cheese, stir to combine and season to taste
- Cover the dish with foil or a fitted lid. Transfer the risotto to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and stir gently and add ½ cup of water or stock. Tuck the delicata squash into the braiser, pushing them in slightly; place camembert in the center. Transfer back into the oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the rice is tender
- Combine wild arugula, lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl and season to taste. Serve risotto topped with remaining parmesan and accompany with the arugula mixture on top or on the side
This is really tasty. I did not put the wheel of Camembert in mine…seemed to rich. Sprinkled with more parm instead. Delicious. Easier way to make risotto for sure.
Oh my - this sounds like a fabulous risotto!! I love squash, so am always looking for new ways to incorporate it into a meal!
This looks amazing. Question? I live alone so I was wondering if this works well to freeze?
Hi Gaby! This looks gorgeous. Can’t wait to make it.
Please clarify: it says to add 1/2 cup stock half way. Do you mean 7 min or more like 20?
just re-wrote that sentence to make it make more sense!! thank you for checking! xx
This looks amazing! Excited to try it out. Perfect for a gloomy, cold day.