Gordon Ramsay’s butternut squash risotto is sweet, warming and golden, made with a butternut squash purée stirred through Arborio rice, whole squash chunks folded in for texture, and crispy fried sage leaves scattered on top. It’s one of those autumn dishes that makes the whole kitchen smell incredible while it cooks.
This recipe comes from his Pumpkin Risotto with Parmesan in Sunday Lunch, where he writes that “you can use butternut squash, allowing a little longer for it to cook.” He also warns against using Halloween pumpkins because they’re “too watery and stringy,” which is why butternut squash actually works better for most home cooks since it’s available year round.
Like his beetroot risotto, two-thirds of the squash gets puréed into the rice while the rest stays in chunks on top. That split gives you colour and flavour in every grain plus something to bite into, which is a pattern he comes back to across multiple risotto recipes.
Gordon Ramsay Butternut Squash Risotto
Course: Dinners, RisottoCuisine: British, ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes35
minutes380
kcal45
minutesA warm autumnal risotto with roasted butternut squash stirred through creamy Parmesan rice, topped with crispy fried sage leaves. Adapted from Ramsay’s pumpkin risotto in Sunday Lunch where he says butternut squash works as a direct swap. About £1.60 per person.
Ingredients
500g butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
Olive oil, for cooking
250g Arborio or Carnaroli rice
125ml dry white wine
800ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
50g butter
56g Parmesan, finely grated, plus shavings to serve
Small handful of sage leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Cook the squash: Heat a little olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the butternut squash chunks and cook gently for 7-8 minutes until just softened, stirring occasionally. Set one-third aside. Blend the rest with a splash of hot water until smooth.
- Build the risotto: Heat olive oil in a wide pan. Stir in the rice and cook for a minute until translucent at the edges.
- Deglaze: Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed.
- Ladle the stock: Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring until each is absorbed before adding the next. Keep going for 16-18 minutes until the rice is al dente.
- Finish: Stir through the butternut squash purée and the reserved chunks. Add the butter and grated Parmesan, season and stir gently. Keep warm.
- Fry the sage: Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a small pan until hot. Fry the sage leaves for a few seconds until crisp, then drain on kitchen paper. Serve the risotto on warm plates with Parmesan shavings and crispy sage on top.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use butternut squash instead of pumpkin?
He actually prefers iron bark pumpkins in his restaurants because they’re drier and more flavourful. But he knows most home cooks can’t find those, which is why he offers butternut squash as the alternative in Sunday Lunch. Butternut squash is sweeter, denser and available in every supermarket year round, so for a home kitchen it’s the more practical choice.
Why fry the sage leaves?
Sage and squash is a classic Italian pairing that Ramsay uses in Fit Food too, where his butternut squash spaghetti is finished with a sage and walnut pesto. Frying the leaves for a few seconds in hot oil makes them crisp and concentrated, almost like a savoury chip. Raw sage is furry and bitter, fried sage is crunchy and sweet. The oil needs to be hot enough that the leaves sizzle immediately when they go in.
Can I use frozen butternut squash chunks?
Yes. Tesco sells frozen butternut squash chunks for £1.50 per 500g which saves you all the peeling and chopping. They work well in the purée since you’re blending them anyway. For the whole chunks you fold in at the end, roast the frozen pieces at 200°C for 20 minutes first so they get some colour rather than going straight into the risotto soft. A salmon wellington for the centrepiece alongside makes this an impressive autumn dinner. A proper Sunday roast works well the next day with any leftover squash.
How much does butternut squash risotto cost per serving?
About £6.35 for four servings, so roughly £1.60 per person. A whole butternut squash costs £1.50 at Tesco and you’ll only use half of it. Parmesan is the next biggest cost at about £1.50 for 56g. Rice, wine, stock, butter and sage fill the rest. One of the cheapest dinners on the site, and the leftover squash makes a soup the next day.
What is the difference between this and pumpkin risotto?
The technique is identical because it’s the same Sunday Lunch recipe. Butternut squash is sweeter and denser with a smoother purée, while a good cooking pumpkin has a more earthy, slightly nutty flavour. If you can find a proper iron bark or crown prince pumpkin from a farm shop, try it. But a standard supermarket pumpkin will give you a wetter, stringier result than butternut squash, which is why Ramsay recommends the swap.
Does butternut squash risotto store well?
Better than most risottos actually. The squash purée keeps the rice moist even after refrigerating, and the colour holds up well overnight. Keeps two days in the fridge, reheats nicely with a splash of stock. The sage leaves go soft though, so fry a fresh batch when you reheat. I’ve compared all 15 of his risotto recipes from cheapest to most expensive if you want to see where this one sits. His chicken cordon bleu takes a similar autumn comfort food approach if you want a different make-ahead option.
