Butternut Squash and Fried Sage Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Risotto is decadent and rich. It’s a hard dish to recreate without rice and butter to get a nice creaminess. I had come to terms that risotto was just one of those dishes I’d have to indulge in on a rare occasion. But why?! There must be another way. Well, have no fear! We’ve begun a successful endeavor down the road to a healthier and creamy risotto with…vegetables?
If you like butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter sage sauce, you will like this risotto. Add some shrimp, scallops, or chicken to the dish and you have yourself a dinner no one will complain about. It’s easy enough to make on a weeknight, but fancy enough to impress guests.
This one screams fall food. It begs to be eaten on a chilly evening when the leaves have changed. Or, a rainy evening while you curl up next to the fireplace. Stop making it scream and beg and just make it already.
Butternut Squash Mushroom Sage Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Ingredients
- 1-pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (scallops or chicken would also work well)
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 butternut squash or about 15 oz, ½ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, sliced thin
- Whole sage leaves for garnish
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced thin
- 2 medium heads of cauliflower, riced, or 24 oz of cauliflower rice
- ½ cup dry white wine, optional
- 1 cup pureed butternut squash or pumpkin
- 1 to 1 and ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2-3 tablespoons plain dairy-free yogurt
- ½ cup vegan parmesan or grated manchego
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon + ½ teaspoon Pink Himalayan salt, or to taste
- ½ tablespoon + ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- Crushed and toasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds would all work well), optional
Instructions
If you are making your own cauliflower rice, you can grate with a box grater or place in a food processor in batches until a rice consistency is achieved.
- Preheat oven to 425⁰F
- Lightly season shrimp with salt and pepper.
- On a baking sheet drizzle oil over butternut squash cubes, season with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, or to taste. Sprinkle thinly sliced sage over squash. Set aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-high until hot but not smoking to fry the whole sage leaves. Oil is hot enough if it sizzles when the leaf touches it. Add in 2-3 whole sage leaves at a time and cook about 20 seconds on each side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- In the same pan used for the sage, reduce heat to medium and add the shallots and garlic. Cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant and shallots are slightly browned.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower rice to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, add the butternut squash to the oven and roast 12-15 minutes.
- Add the white wine, if using, to the pan with the cauliflower rice. Let cook 3-4 minutes or until the liquid has reduced slightly. If not using the wine, use broth in it’s place.
- Stir in the butternut squash or pumpkin puree and ½ cup of broth. Cook stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes being sure to add additional broth ½ cup at a time as needed. You’re looking for the rice to become soft but not mushy.
- While the rice cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a sauté pan on medium-high until hot but not smoking.
- Once pan is hot, add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and add the lemon juice, set aside.
- Once the rice has absorbed majority of the liquid, stir in the yogurt and cheese.
- Fold in the roasted butternut squash and sage.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Plate and top with the shrimp, fried sage leaves, and toasted nuts if using.
