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.
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.
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.
Toss the cubed squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast until tender and slightly caramelized on the outside. 
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 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. 
Stir in the roasted squash and cheese. Season to taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with fried sage leaves. 
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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Risotto, but make it with farro! If you love risotto, then you’ll love farrotto. A hearty, nutty Italian dish that uses farro in place of arborio rice. With roasted squash and fried sage leaves for a show-stopping main dish that’s a must on your Fall table.
If you can find a honeynut squash, then I’d recommend using that as the flavor is more concentrated and sweeter. It’s so good!
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(3 comments) leave a comment
The recipe calls for sage leaves, but none are included in the ingredients list (unless I missed them somewhere). Help, please?
Yes, so sorry– updated that now
Thank you!