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Home » Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto with Basil Pesto

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto with Basil Pesto

March 20, 2018 By Diane Smith 32 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Butternut Squash Risotto with Basil Pesto in white serving dish

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto is comforting and delicious. Filled with sweet butternut squash, basil pesto, and mushrooms, it is flavored with white wine for a savory finish.

instant pot butternut squash risotto in white bowls

 

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto

I continue to be inspired by the Instant Pot. Yes, it does make beans in a flash like these Pinto Beans and Black Beans, but it is very versatile. It is even possible to make pasta in the Instant Pot!

This vegan risotto butternut squash is a beautiful spring dish that cooks perfectly in the Instant Pot. Don’t feel like cutting the squash up? Some markets sell it pre-cut into cubes! Just get about 20 oz worth, and that should do the trick.

Roasted butternut squash risotto is a great dish to serve for a spring celebration, and making it in the Instant Pot frees you up to concentrate on the other dishes in your meal.

While discussing delicious food, don’t miss my new green soup made with asparagus, peas, and zucchini. It’s super tasty and made with lite coconut milk, but you can use another non-dairy milk if you prefer.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

  • Easy enough for weeknight dinners
  • Fancy enough to serve to guests
  • Delicious
  • Family Friendly
  • Vegan
  • Simple step-by-step directions

white bowls filled with butternut squash risotto

 

Vegan Risotto Butternut Squash

Because we’re not using any cheese in this dish, as most risottos do, I think having this basil pesto topping is super important. It has just the punch of flavor you want to compliment the creamy, somewhat neutral risotto flavor. I like to make extra pesto and save it for other meals.

This basil pesto is awesome and easily made into a dressing by adding a little fresh orange juice. The orange juice really complements the basil.

In fact, you could make a salad to go on the side with the risotto and top it with this Orange Basil Dressing. How about my Arugula, Apple, Beet Salad, or Kale Brussels Sprouts Salad?

How To Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto

This recipe makes eight servings, so cut it in half if that’s too much.

Step 1: Sauté onions

Turn the pressure cooker to Sauté and toss in onions and water. Cook until they are light brown and the water evaporates. Stir in the butternut squash and cook until the squash begins to soften.

Step 2: Add ingredients

Add the mushrooms and cook for an additional minute. Mix in the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and cook until the alcohol burns off. Add the rice and seasonings. Pour in the broth and deglaze the pot. Put spinach leaves on top, and do not stir. 

Step 3: Cook & prepare basil pesto

Cook on manual with high pressure for 6 minutes, followed by a quick release. While the roasted butternut squash risotto is cooking, prepare the basil by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor. Add water until it reaches desired consistency. 

Drizzle basil on top of vegan butternut squash risotto and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Note: I’ve included stovetop/oven directions in the Notes section below the recipe.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Basil Pesto in white serving dish

Vegan Risotto Butternut Squash Tips

  • Make the right cuts: Cut the butternut squash evenly and into bite-sized pieces. This allows it to cook evenly and makes it easier to eat. 
  • Use Pre-cut: Save time by using pre-cut butternut squash. Many grocery stores have bags of it that are ready to use. 
  • Frozen is OK: It’s fine to use frozen squash, but you’ll need to thaw it first. 
  • Season well: Add additional seasonings and spices based on your flavor preferences. 

Butternut Squash Risotto Instant Pot FAQs

What can I substitute for white wine?

You can swap the dry white wine for water or vegetable broth. 

Do I have to use butternut squash?

No, you can substitute pumpkin or acorn squash instead of butternut squash if you’d rather. 

bowl of vegan risotto butternut squash

 

Can I use different rice?

While I usually recommend using brown rice, I prefer the creamy texture of Arborio rice. You may be able to use brown or white rice, but I haven’t tried this butternut squash risotto Instant Pot recipe with any other rice. 

Can I make it ahead?

This Instant Pot butternut squash risotto is best when served fresh. It becomes gummy as it sits; however, you can save leftovers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet with a dash of vegetable broth or water to moisten it. 

A healthy meal, plant-based and savory. Add a few more to your list:

  • Classic Basil Marinara with Angel Hair Pasta
  • Chili Topped Potatoes with Corn Salsa
  • Moroccan Stew with Kale
  • Pasta Puttanesca with Spinach

This Butternut Squash Risotto Instant Pot recipe has all the wonderful plant-based nutrition you need. With the addition of spinach for your greens, the beautiful orange squash, and medicinal mushrooms, you’re getting a healthy dose of nutrition in this meal.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto! If you have a photo, post it on my Instagram page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

Butternut Squash Risotto
Print Recipe
3.57 from 101 votes

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto is comforting, delicious, and filled with sweet butternut squash, basil pesto, and mushrooms, and it is flavored with white wine.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time6 mins
Total Time36 mins
Servings: 8 people

Equipment

  • 6 qt. Instant Pot
  • Food Processor
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Vegetable Peeler

Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1 Tbl garlic crushed
  • 4 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded and large diced
  • 2 cups Arborio rice (uncooked)
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or 4 cups homemade)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional but adds a great flavor. Add more water if you don't use it.)
  • 1 8 oz package Baby Bella mushrooms sliced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/3 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 5 oz bag baby spinach

Basil Pesto

  • 1 1/2 cups fresh basil tightly packed
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley tightly packed
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbl light miso
  • 3 Tbl nutritional yeast
  • 1/8 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
  • 2-4 Tbl water more or less depending on desired consistency
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Add 1/4 cup water to the Instant Pot. Hit “Sauté.” Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes so it softens and just lightly browns when the water runs out. Then, add the butternut squash and stir with the onions for another 1-2 minutes. The squash will still be very hard but will soften.
  • Add the mushrooms, stir and cook for another minute. Finally, add the garlic, stir with everything else and cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Add the white wine and once it bubbles, let it do so for another 2 minutes so some of the alcohol burns off.
  • Add in the rice and mix it in with everything in the pot.
  • Add the broth, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, Italian seasoning and dried parsley. Stir well, deglazing (scraping) the bottom of the pot and then place the spinach on top (but do NOT mix in with everything else – just let it rest on top.)
  • Secure the lid, hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and High Pressure for 6 minutes. Use the quick release when done and stir the spinach in with the risotto.
  • Make the basil pesto and serve with a dollop.

Basil Pesto

  • Blend basil, parsley, garlic, miso, nutritional yeast, pine nuts and lemon juice in food processor.
  • Slowly drizzle in water while machine is running to desired consistency.

Notes

*Stovetop/Oven Directions:  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  1. Place the rice with 4 cups of the vegetable stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, along with the seasonings. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
  2. In the meantime, place the onions, squash and the sliced mushrooms (keep them separate) on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes along with the rice. If you need to, use 2 baking sheets, but you may not have room for two and therefore, need to roast them separately from the rice. Remove the onions, squash, and mushrooms when the squash is tender.
  3. Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash with a fork. When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is al dente, remove from the oven and place over medium heat. Add an extra 1 cup vegetable broth (not in the Instant Pot version), the spinach, the wine, salt, and pepper, and stir until the rice is thick and creamy and the spinach is wilted. (Another option is to cook the rice with the wine instead of adding it later.)
  4. Add the onions and butternut squash and stir again to heat through about 2-3 minutes.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Risotto
Amount per Serving
Calories
403
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5.3
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.4
g
3
%
Sodium
 
384
mg
17
%
Carbohydrates
 
72
g
24
%
Fiber
 
10.6
g
44
%
Sugar
 
6
g
7
%
Protein
 
14.5
g
29
%
Vitamin A
 
1650
IU
33
%
Vitamin C
 
39.6
mg
48
%
Calcium
 
100
mg
10
%
Iron
 
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Tag @PlantBasedCooking on Intagram!

 

 

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Comments

  1. Diana rehbit

    March 22, 2018 at 1:57 pm

    How much miso added for the pesto?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      March 22, 2018 at 2:01 pm

      Woops, that’s 1 Tbl miso. Thanks for pointing that out. I updated the ingredient list.

      Reply
  2. Cat

    August 14, 2018 at 6:45 am

    How would you do this without an Instant Pot?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      August 14, 2018 at 11:49 am

      Good question. I’ll put the directions for cooking without an Instant Pot on the recipe itself in a day or so… In the meantime, here’s what I would try, although I haven’t tested the recipe using this method and can’t say how it’ll work. Risotto typically takes tending when cooking on the stove because you add the liquid a little at a time until it’s absorbed but I’ve read that you can make risotto in the oven without tending to it so I would try baking it separately along with the onions, squash, and mushrooms. This should speed up the process and add flavor.

      Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the rice and 4 cups of the vegetable stock in a Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, along with the seasonings. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.

      In the meantime, place the onions, squash and the sliced mushrooms (keep them separate) on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes along with the rice. If you need to, use 2 baking sheets, but you may not have room for two and therefore, need to roast them separately from the rice. Remove the onions, squash, and mushrooms when the squash is tender. Continue to bake the rice for the 45 minutes.

      Transfer the squash to a bowl and mash with a fork. When the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and is al dente, remove from the oven and place over medium heat. Add an extra 1 cup vegetable broth (not in the Instant Pot version), the spinach, the wine, salt, and pepper, and stir until the rice is thick and creamy and the spinach is wilted. (Another option is to cook the rice with the wine instead of adding it later.) Add the onions and butternut squash and stir again to heat through about 2-3 minutes.

      OK, fingers crossed that it works. One of my concerns is the amount of liquid to use. Let me know if you have any feedback.

      Reply
  3. Jonathan Biddle

    January 2, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    I tried this, but it ended up with a lot of liquid left over and the rice was hard and did not fully absorb the liquid. I followed the directions exactly…any ideas? 6 minutes didn’t seem like enough time using the manual mode.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 3, 2019 at 10:52 am

      Hi Jonathan and thanks for the feedback. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what happened, but I will make this again to test it and get back to you.

      Reply
  4. Krista Hamel

    January 7, 2019 at 11:07 am

    I’m trying this tonight? Any insights on above “liquid” comment?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 7, 2019 at 11:47 am

      Hi Krista, I haven’t had a chance to retest the recipe, so I can’t give you a definitive answer, but I looked at a few other recipes out there. Most called for high pressure and 6 minutes, 1 at 5 minutes. If someone didn’t use arborio rice but brown rice instead, that might make the difference in cook time. As for the amount of broth, that varied a lot so I can’t say what to recommend now until I’ve retested. One note is that risotto is usually very creamy compared to a regular rice dish. Some recipes use cheese (which we don’t here) and that can help thicken the rice. The squash will become very soft during the cooking, by the way. Oh, and another note, this does make a large amount.

      Lastly, I think the basil pesto really adds a nice punch of flavor as the other ingredients are very subtle flavors, at least for my taste.

      I’ll be testing this recipe again soon and will have better answers for you then.

      Reply
  5. DJ

    January 16, 2019 at 5:55 am

    Made this last night with 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of broth, no wine, but a little water for that step. Worked well, rice was cooked nicely. When I opened the instant pot (after quick release) it looked like there was too much water left over, but once I mixed it, the consistency was right. Had it with an arugula and pomelo salad and it made a comforting but easy weeknight meal. Thanks for the recipe, if using softer vegetables, do you think lay them on top like the spinach, or would softer not work in the instant pot?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 16, 2019 at 10:14 am

      Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad it worked well for you. I know the spinach and squash give off liquid, as well. I’m not sure about softer veggies. I’d worry they’d become too soft, but I you could give it a try.

      Reply
  6. Kat

    January 27, 2019 at 9:41 pm

    I followed the recipe almost exactly but my instant pot kept giving me a BURN alert and I had to open up and add more liquid. Ended up adding 8 cups of broth. Not sure why it need so much more liquid! I did use frozen squash that was thawed out in water and drained, so maybe there was less liquid from the squash than it needed?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 28, 2019 at 11:24 am

      Hi Kat, I’m so sorry about that. I don’t know why that would happen as others have said there’s too much liquid. Maybe it depends on the rice if you happened to use something other than arborio. I wouldn’t think the frozen spinach would affect it as it usually has plenty of liquid. Did you use the mushroom, they have a lot of liquid. I’d better get cooking…this one I need to test again. Thanks so much for your feedback.

      Reply
    • Donnie

      February 14, 2019 at 7:20 pm

      I got the burn alert as well! Weird, I thought I did everything to avoid it. Not sure what happened.

      Reply
      • Diane Smith

        February 15, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Well, that is weird. I wonder if it could be that different pressure cookers make the difference… maybe run hotter than others. Anyway, I’m sorry. It seems like the extra veggies would add even more moisture so I don’t think that’s it. It’s on my schedule to make next week so I can figure out this mystery. Thanks for the feedback.

        Reply
  7. Erika

    February 19, 2019 at 10:04 pm

    I halved this recipe and left out the mushrooms (didn’t have any). I thought the rice was perfectly tender. The spinach was a little over cooked — I guess I could have just stirred it in at the end. Nice with the pesto on the top, this is a keeper — so fast. No issue with the burn message.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      February 20, 2019 at 12:57 pm

      Hi Erika, thank you so much for the feedback. That’s super it worked out for you and that you enjoyed the recipe!! I’m started to think for people who are having trouble that perhaps it’s their Instant Pot. I can’t say for sure, but with this much variation, something’s going on.

      Reply
    • Fernando Durand

      May 9, 2021 at 7:13 am

      Hi. Going to try this tonight. Is the rice uncooked when our in pressure cooker ??

      Reply
      • Diane Smith

        May 9, 2021 at 1:44 pm

        Yep, that’s uncooked arborio rice.

        Reply
  8. Stephanie

    October 1, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Delicious. Followed the recipe exactly and didn’t have any issues! It’s really filling and makes a lot so this should last me for a while. It was my first time making basil pesto period, let alone a dairy free version. The nutritional yeast gave it a yellowish color but it’s delish! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      October 2, 2019 at 11:19 am

      Hey Stephanie, thanks so much for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  9. Elizabeth A Perkoski

    April 7, 2020 at 5:07 pm

    Can’t find miso anywhere right now. Any recommendations how to adjust the recipe?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      April 7, 2020 at 5:42 pm

      Miso mostly adds saltiness to the pesto so I think you can leave it out with good results. You’ll want to taste it for salt and perhaps add some for flavor. I hope that works for you.

      Reply
  10. Jordyn

    September 10, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    Made this tonight and it was delicious! No liquid problem here – must be the rice? I made sure to get arborio, perhaps others used a different rice with less liquid absorbing abilities. Thank you for sharing! Such a fantastic vegan recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      September 11, 2020 at 11:03 am

      Hey Jordyn, thanks for your feedback! I think you’re right that the rice can made a difference. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. 🍎

      Reply
  11. Lewis

    January 27, 2021 at 1:34 pm

    I just made this, and it was absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe and the steps exactly, and the rice came out to the perfect consistency. I’m adding this to my weekly rotation in the winter, and already bought 15 more pounds of rice. Thanks so much for teaching me how to use my insta pot!

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      January 27, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      Fantastic, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
  12. Megan

    March 11, 2021 at 3:31 pm

    Hi. Thinking of giving this a try tonight. But I don’t do mushrooms. Any issue if I just leave them out? Or should I replace with something else? TIA

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      March 11, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      Hi Megan, Yes, it’d be fine to leave them out. They do add some moisture so I’m not sure, but it shouldn’t dry out the risotto. 🙂

      Reply
  13. Fernando

    May 9, 2021 at 5:58 pm

    Hi. I made this for my wife on Mother’s Day and followed it to a T and it came out perfect. It’s going on top keepers list. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      May 10, 2021 at 12:02 pm

      Hey Fernando, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply
  14. Rachel

    June 4, 2021 at 10:21 pm

    I didn’t pay attention to how much this would make so I’ve ended up with way too much! It turned out really well, though. Any thoughts on how long it will be good for in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Diane Smith

      June 6, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      Hey Rachel, Freezing is an option but some say it might affect the texture and become grainy or lose some creaminess. Here’s an article that goes into quite a bit of detail about freezing risotto. Otherwise, it should keep well covered in the fridge for 5 days. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply

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