Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash

This Instant Pot risotto with butternut squash is creamy, flavorful, and easy to cook entirely in your pressure cooker. Sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage, tangy Parmesan, and creamy risotto mingle perfectly, and crisped prosciutto is the perfect finishing touch.

Butternut squash is such a delicious and cozy vegetable to incorporate into fall cooking. Butternut and browned butter rigatoni, roasted butternut soup, and a butternut sage frittata are all favorites when the leaves start to change. The creamy texture and lightly sweet flavor is so enticing, especially with woodsy herbs like rosemary and sage.

While butternut is accessible and cozy, risotto can seem a little intimidating! Making it the traditional way on the stovetop is not actually very difficult, but it does require time and patience. And to be honest, even when I have patience, I rarely have time!

Enter the Instant Pot. Pressure cooking is a wonderful shortcut to pretty darn good risotto that you can enjoy at home without constant watchfulness and stirring. For the busy home cook, this makes risotto possible, even if you have small kids underfoot.

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Risotto

• All the enticing aroma and flavors of shallot, garlic, and sage
• Creamy butternut squash pairs perfectly with creamy Arborio rice
• Uses two Instant Pot functions for simple, one-pan cooking. Less washing up!
• About as hands-off as risotto can be
• Crisp prosciutto and a dusting of Parmesan add the perfect finishing touch
• Works well as a vegetarian main or elegant side dish

Ingredient Notes

Arborio rice is a short-grain rice with an oval shape and a pretty, pearlescent sheen. It’s very starchy and can absorb more water than most other types of rice without becoming mushy. Risotto is the classic Italian dish based on Arborio rice, and this absorbent power is what makes risotto so creamy.

How To Make Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash

The Instant Pot is the only way I know of to make risotto remotely hands-off. You’ll use both sauté mode and regular high pressure cooking. Begin with a quick sauté of the shallot in a smidge of butter and olive oil, then add the garlic and sage, followed by the white wine.

Add broth, Arborio rice, and cubed squash. Stir well, then set and forget the Instant Pot to do the rest. Set it for 6 minutes cooking time on high pressure, but plan on approximately 8 additional minutes for it to come up to pressure plus another 15 minutes natural release. The total cooking time will be roughly 30 minutes—all hands-off.

When you first open the Instant Pot, the squash pieces will still be in cubes. They’re so soft, however, that as you stir with a wooden spoon they will easily break down, adding to that luxurious creamy texture.

Don’t Skip the Crisp Prosciutto!

While the risotto cooks, take a couple of minutes to crisp up your prosciutto. This feels and tastes elevated but is so easy to do.

Lay a few pieces of prosciutto flat on a paper-towel lined plate, cover them lightly with another paper towel, and microwave on full power in 1 minute increments. Depending on the wattage of your microwave, it will probably take 2 or 3 bursts. Stop when the pieces deepen in color and are crisp to the touch. Crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces, which are perfect for sprinkling.

The crisp, salty prosciutto perfectly sets off the sweet, creamy butternut risotto.

After removing the lid from the Instant Pot, stir in the Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Sample and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve piping hot into bowls and top generously with the prosciutto, Parmesan, and fresh herbs if you like.

Serving Suggestions

We enjoy this butternut squash risotto in lots of different ways. It’s flavorful, versatile, and in my experience makes enough to serve 6 large portions or 8-10 small side portions.

If serving this risotto as a main dish, I like to pair it with roasted broccolini, pesto green beans, or simple steamed peas mixed in for a one-bowl meal.

This risotto makes a delicious side dish to go with steak, white wine skillet chicken, or pan-fried garlic butter shrimp.

It’s a fantastic Thanksgiving option—seasonally appropriate but a bit unexpected. And using the Instant Pot to free up oven space is always a good idea!

Storage & Reheating

To Store: Place leftovers in any airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Store the prosciutto separately and crumble onto individual portions.

To Warm: Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan over medium heat on the stovetop. If warming on the stovetop, add a splash or two of broth or water to keep things creamy.

More Easy Instant Pot Dinners

• Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
• Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup
• Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Ground Beef Instant Pot Tacos
• Fire-Roasted Instant Pot Tomato Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Tinga

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Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 see note

This Instant Pot risotto with butternut squash is creamy, flavorful, and easy to cook entirely in your Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. We love the cubes of sweet butternut squash, fragrant sage, tangy Parmesan, and crisped prosciutto on top for an elegant but easy finishing touch.

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Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon each butter and extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• ¼ cup white wine see note
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 16 ounces cubed fresh butternut squash
• 3-4 slices thinly-sliced Prosciutto see note
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• kosher salt and black pepper
• fresh sage optional garnish

Instructions

• Set the Instant Pot to its sauté function and add butter and olive oil. When the butter melts, add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes.
  1 Tablespoon each butter and extra-virgin olive oil, 1 medium shallot
• Add garlic and sage, then cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant. (Watch carefully at this stage; if the shallot or garlic begins to burn, quickly stir in a small amount of broth and scrape the bottom of the pot.)
  2-3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons dried sage
• Stir in the rice and white wine; cook for about 1 minute. Add the broth and the cubed squash; stir very well.
  2 cups Arborio rice, ¼ cup white wine, 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 16 ounces cubed fresh butternut squash
• Cover and seal the Instant Pot, then set for 6 minutes on high pressure.
• While the Instant Pot comes to pressure and cooks, crisp the prosciutto. Place slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate, and cover loosely with a another paper towel. Microwave in 1-minute bursts until very crisp. Crumble or chop into small pieces and set aside.
  3-4 slices thinly-sliced Prosciutto
• When the 6 minutes is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining steam. Open the lid and turn off the Instant Pot.
• Add Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Stir very well and add more salt and pepper to taste.
  ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, kosher salt and black pepper
• Serve in bowls topped with prosciutto, more Parmesan, and fresh sage, if desired.
  fresh sage

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Notes

1. Yield: In my experience this makes enough to serve 6 large portions or 8-10 small side portions.
2. Shallot: Substitute half of a medium red or sweet onion as needed or preferred.
3. White Wine: This adds an extra layer of flavor but can be easily left out and substituted with an extra ¼ cup of broth or water.
4. Prosciutto: A little goes a long way and adds so much! You can substitute crumbled bacon for a similar effect; if leaving both out to keep the recipe vegetarian, consider adding an extra pinch of salt.
5. Sage: If using fresh sage in the Instant Pot, use at least 1 full Tablespoon of finely minced leaves.
6. Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in any airtight container for 3-4 days. Store the prosciutto separately and crumble onto individual portions.
7. Tip for Warming: Reheat in the microwave or in a small pan over medium heat on the stovetop. If warming on the stovetop, add a splash or two of broth or water to keep things creamy.

Author: Monica

Course: Main

Cuisine: American, American-Italian

Keyword: instant pot risotto with butternut squash

This post was originally published in February 2019 and has been updated with new photos and helpful tips and tricks. The recipe is unchanged.