Butternut Squash Paella is an excellent, easy fall supper option that is basically a one pot meal! I’ll admit to being intimidated by this traditional Spanish dish, especially since I don’t have a paella pan. I was relieved to find that I was able to make this Butternut Paella in a cast iron skillet and it turned out wonderfully. Since this dish is baked in the oven you want to make sure you have an oven safe skillet. I used an 11″ skillet here.
What kind of rice should I use?
Naturally, if you can get a hold of the special paella rice from Spain, go for it! I used a brand called Bomba, which is a short grain rice that is bred to absorb plenty of liquid and keep its texture. Of course, it can be ordered mine on Amazon, but you can substitute either arborio rice or Calrose rice as well (which is widely available and very affordable.
Butternut Squash Paella definitely be made oil-free if you want! However, I used a tiny bit of oil so I could get a really nice sear on the mushrooms, but I’m not completely convinced I even needed to use it at all.
Finally, one important step is to crisp the paella on the stovetop for a few minutes when it comes out of the oven. This helps form a delicious crust on the bottom of the Butternut Squash Paella!
Interested in more squash recipes? Try this Butternut Squash Lasagna!
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (or spray the pan lightly with olive oil)
- 1 small onion, minced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 cups oyster mushrooms, separated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup Bomba paella rice
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch saffron
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (plus more to taste if desired
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 2 cups butternut squash
- 2 vegan sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- Garnish with parsley, basil, and lemon slices
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a 10” cast iron skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the tomato paste, rice, smoked paprika, saffron, salt and pepper. Sauté for 1-2 minutes to toast the rice briefly.
- Add the butternut squash, sausage, and vegetable stock. The vegetable stock should just cover the rice and squash. Bring the mixture to a boil and transfer to the oven. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to the stove top. Turn on the heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes in order to crisp the bottom,.
- Garnish with fresh sage. Serve immediately.
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This looks fantastic, Rachel. I’m going to make it with Calrose, as I can’t find paella rice anywhere unless I order it. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hi Deborah! Thanks for the comment! Let me know how it goes!