A truly easy risotto recipe! No standing over the pot stirring and stirring for this dish. This creamy butternut squash and green bean risotto is a delicious entrée or side dish. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner or when entertaining family and friends.
easy risotto
I was never a fan of making risotto. The slow process of adding cupful by cupful of stock to Arborio rice and stirring constantly while it was almost absorbed seemed laborious to me.
Inevitably I either had the heat too high and the stock was absorbed too quickly. The result was a batch of crunchy, under cooked rice. Or I had the heat too low. My risotto ended up being a pot of mush after all my stirring and stirring and stirring. When I discovered a no stir recipe, this lazy risotto became a favorite dish.
There is no need to be tied to the stove to make a perfect risotto. With a hands-on time of about 10 minutes followed by another 20 minute simmer, the end result is a creamy rice dish that is a snap to prepare.
the ingredients for an easy risotto recipe
- reduced sodium chicken stock
- salted butter
- onion
- butternut squash
- fresh thyme
- Arborio rice
- dry white wine ~ Chardonnay is my go to!
- green beans
- Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt
- pepper ~ fresh ground is my choice. Do you have a pepper mill?
- blue cheese
what is Arborio rice?
Arborio rice, an Italian short-grain rice, is the superstar in the dish. With its high starch content, it is ideal for any risotto recipe. When cooked, the rice becomes slightly creamy, each grain slightly chewy and firm.
how to make risotto
This easy risotto recipe is perfect for beginners as it needs little attention. It was one of my most popular fall dishes when I was the chef at a quaint gourmet café. My current personal chef clients love it too! It’s an ideal low maintenance and easy risotto dinner recipe to enjoy at home.
- Heat the chicken stock and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. Sauté onion in butter until translucent. Add in cubed butternut squash and fresh thyme. After a few more minutes of sautéing, stir in the Arborio rice and cook and toast for 2 minutes.
- Add the liquids. Pour a few splashes of white wine into the sauté pan and cook until it evaporates. Now for my favorite step in this easy recipe. Add all of the warm chicken stock all at once. Bring the risotto mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. There is no babysitting this risotto recipe. Just stir once or twice while the rice soaks up the chicken stock, and the butternut squash cooks to a nutty, earthy deliciousness.
4. Stir in green beans and cheeses. Add steamed green beans, grated Parmesan cheese and crumbled blue cheese. Taste and season with kosher salt and pepper.
The addition of butternut squash and green beans are delicious, colorful, and super flavorful. The squash has a slightly sweet and nutty taste while the steamed crisp green beans add a bright green splash of color and fresh flavor. A combination of both Parmesan and blue cheeses give this easy risotto recipe a sharp and salty edge.
chef cooking tips for making risotto
- Chicken stock adds rich flavor to this easy rice recipe. To make a vegan or vegetarian dish, use vegetable stock.
- Cut the butternut squash in bite sized pieces to ensure that it cooks in the same amount time as the rice.
- Fresh thyme is my first choice, but dried thyme is an acceptable substitution.
how to reheat risotto
It’s best to enjoy risotto as soon as it is prepared. But follow these steps and it will be delicious!
- For each cup of risotto, bring about 1/4 cup of reduced sodium chicken stock to a boil.
- Turn the heat to low and add the risotto. Gently stir until the stock is absorbed and the rice is warmed through.
- Serve with additional Parmesan and blue cheeses.
If you make this easy risotto recipe, I’d love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
more delicious side dish recipes
- Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Fries
- Apple and Bacon Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate
- Easy 20 Minute Cauliflower Rice Pilaf
- Roasted Fall Squash with Cinnamon and Nutmeg
- Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Mustard
my videos
This easy risotto recipe was originally posted in January 2014. It has been updated with new photos and detailed preparation instructions.
PrintEasy Risotto Recipe with Butternut Squash and Green Beans
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
A truly easy risotto recipe! No standing over the pot stirring and stirring. This creamy butternut squash and green bean risotto is a delicious entrée or side dish. It is perfect for a weeknight dinner or when entertaining family and friends.
Ingredients
- 5 1/4 cups reduced sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups green beans (cut in 1-inch pieces and steamed)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Bring stock to boil in large saucepan then turn off heat, cover and set aside.
- Melt the butter in large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the butternut squash and 2 teaspoons of thyme and sauté 3 to 4 minutes. The squash should just begin to turn golden brown on the edges.
- Add the Arborio rice and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add wine and simmer until evaporated, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add the warm chicken stock all at once and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the risotto uncovered for 20 to 22 minutes. Stir once or twice. The rice will be just tender, and the risotto will be creamy. Turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and let the risotto sit for 5 minutes.
- Stir the green beans and Parmesan cheese into the risotto. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the risotto with blue cheese and remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme and serve.
Notes
- Chicken stock adds rich flavor to this easy risotto recipe. To make vegan or vegetarian risotto, use vegetable stock.
- Cut the butternut squash in bite sized pieces to ensure that it cooks in the same amount time as the rice.
- Fresh thyme is my first choice, but dried thyme is an acceptable substitution.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side dish or entrée
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 334
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 414 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.3 g
- Fiber: 3.7 g
- Protein: 10.5 g
- Cholesterol: 26 mg
Keywords: easy risotto recipe, risotto, easy risotto for beginners, risotto with butternut squash
This is such a great risotto! I love the sweetness of the butternut squash. It makes for such a great fall dinner.
★★★★★
Thanks Amanda!
Wow, this combo sounds amazing!! I am definitely going to give this a go over the holidays, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
★★★★★
I love making this one for Christmas Eve dinner.
I love the way you’ve added the chunks of squash to this risotto. However, due to an allergy, the only way I can eat squash is as a fully cooked puree. It was still delicious!
★★★★★
Interesting…I bet you could puree the squash and add it.
This is such an easy and delicious recipe! It’s perfectly balanced and makes a simple meal look fancy!
★★★★★
Fancy enough for company!
My family loves risotto and the addition of the butternut squash made this their new favorite risotto!
★★★★★
I’m so glad your family enjoyed my recipe Dennis.
I’m weird and don’t mind the labor of love that risotto can sometimes be, but I’ve seen other chefs say the same thing – you really don’t have to stir constantly and it will be just fine! I love the addition of veggies to make this heartier. I’d eat it as a meal all on its own!
★★★★★
For sure ~ this one is a meal Lauren.
Risotto is always such a great dish and there are endless ways to make it different. I’ve never tried a combination of butternut squash and green beans! It looks delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you Veronika!
Living in Northern Italy, means risotto is almost a staple in the winter. Since my hubby is Italian, he’s usually the risotto maker and yes he spends quite a bit of time stirring, stirring and stirring. I love that this recipe is more hands off. I’m really tempted to try this myself and see if I can make a risotto as good as hubby’s!
★★★★★
Let me know how it turns out for you Jacqueline.
Can’t wait to give this recipe a try! Have some extra butternut squash!
★★★★★
It’s a winner Liz!
I love the additions you made to this fabulous risotto recipe! So perfect for this time of year!
★★★★★
Thanks Leslie!
Made this tonight and loved it! Used frozen butternut squash and it turned out great. Also, no bleu cheese for me.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe Melissa 🙂