Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash (Farrotto)
Risotto, but make it with farro! If you love risotto, then you’ll love farrotto. A hearty, nutty Italian dish that uses farro instead of arborio rice. With roasted squash and fried sage leaves for a show-stopping main dish that’s a must on your Fall table.
I’m ready for the holidays. One bite of this farrotto and I’m immediately transported to a holiday table– complete with plenty of my favorite side dishes, pumpkin pie, and this gorgeous main. Farro risotto with roasted butternut squash and fried sage. It’s so beautiful and bursting with Fall flavors; it’s a must-make this time of year.
When I think of risotto, I think of the classic pairings for fall and winter– like my pumpkin pesto risotto, wild mushroom risotto, and mushroom farrotto. I love the chewy texture of farro so much and knew I wanted to make a version using roasted squash.
This farro risotto with butternut squash is so creamy and delicious. If you love risotto, then you’ll love this farro version. See below for tips and details, or scroll all the way to the bottom for the full recipe card.
Everything You Need to Make this Recipe:
Why This Recipe Works
There’s a reason why butternut squash is a favorite pairing with risotto. And that’s especially true with this farrotto. For one, their textures complement each other. The hearty, chewy texture of farro balances nicely with the smooth, creamy squash in each bite.
They are also nutritionally balanced. Farro provides fiber, protein, and complex carbs, while butternut squash delivers vitamins A and C, potassium, and beta-carotene. Together, they make for a filling main or side dish.
Farro has an earthy, nutty flavor that complements the sweetness of roasted butternut squash. If you can get your hands on a honeynut squash, I highly recommend doing so for this recipe.
Honeynut squash are much smaller, averaging 3-5 inches in diameter, compared to butternut, which are typically 8-10 inches long. While butternut squash will work in this recipe, honeynut squash has a sweet, almost candied flavor profile that pairs great with the farro in this recipe.
Farrotto Ingredients
In addition to pantry staples like extra-virgin olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, you only need a handful of ingredients to make this squash farro risotto recipe.
- Onion and shallots
- Pearled Farro
- White Wine
- Vegetable Broth
- Butternut or Honeynut squash
- Fresh sage leaves
How to Make Farro Risotto
Roast the squash
Toss the cubed squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast until tender and slightly caramelized on the outside.
Saute the onions and shallots
Heat olive oil and butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven, then add the onions and shallots. Saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the Farro
Add the farro along with the wine and cook until absorbed, stirring often. Add in a laddle of the warmed vegetable broth and stir until mostly absorbed. Continue to add in a laddle of vegetable broth at a time until the farro is tender and chewy. This will take about 25 minutes.
Fold in the squash and cheese
Stir in the roasted squash and cheese. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with fried sage leaves.
Tips for Success
I recommend using pearled farro for best results. You can use semi-pearled farro, but it will take longer to cook through, and you will likely need more broth. As broth containers only come in 4-cup servings, I add 2 cups of water to help stretch the broth.
Shallots are my favorite in any squash dish, but you can substitute in fresh garlic if you’d like.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is farro gluten-free?
Farro is not gluten-free. Farro is a type of wheat, which means it contains gluten. Specifically, farro is a grain from the spelt family. Like other wheat varieties such as durum and einkorn, farro contains gluten proteins which can trigger reactions in those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
What if I need to add more liquid?
If you are using a semi-pearled farro, then you will likely need to add more liquid to this farrotto recipe. You can either add more broth, or you can use water. The key is that the broth is warmed before adding to cook the farro faster.
How to make vegan farrotto?
If you want to make this vegan, then omit the parmesan cheese or add in a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast instead of the parmesan cheese. You can use vegan butter for the butter.
More Italian Recipes to Try
- Pasta Fagioli
- Pasta alla Norma
- Tuscan Kale Soup
- One-Pot Pasta Puttanesca
- Instant Pot Tortellini Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
More Farro Recipes to Make
- Farro Bean Soup
- Mediterranean Farro Salad
- Warm Farro and Kale Salad
- Farro and Citrus Salad
- Sweet Cherry and Farro Salad
If you make this recipe, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and your feedback helps other readers!
Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash (Farrotto)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed honeynut or butternut squash
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 8 whole sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon butter or vegan butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups pearled farro
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth + 2 cups water, warmed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss the cubed squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender.Â
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and a sprinkle of salt and fry until just crisped, about 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove and set aside.Â
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and shallot along with the remaining salt and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until onions are just tender, about 10 minutes.Â
- Add in the farro and toast another minute, then add in the white wine. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the wine is mostly absorbed.Â
- Add the broth, a laddle at a time, stirring as it cooks, until mostly absorbed. Continue to add the broth, a laddle at a time, stirring each time until broth is mostly absorbed. You may not need all of the broth, depending on how quickly the farro cooks. When the farro is tender and creamy, remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and roasted squash. Taste, adding more salt or pepper as desired to taste.Â
- Divide into 4 serving bowls and top with fried sage leaves, either whole or crushed on top.Â