Butternut Squash Risotto

Course dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword Butternut Squash, risotto, vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 347kcal

Author Bruce and Dina Miller

Ingredients

1 cup Arborio rice
1 large shallot diced about 1/3 cup
4 cloves of garlic shredded
2 tablespoons butter & 4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cups simmering vegetable stock
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups butternut squash cut into small cubes
½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
½ cup heavy cream or half and half

Instructions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss butternut squash with garlic olive oil.Put the squash on a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, turning half way. You want the squash to be cooked, but still firm.
2 cups butternut squash
While squash is baking, start risotto. Add stock to a sauce pan, and turn on low to heat up.
5 cups simmering vegetable stock
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add in olive oil. Now, toss in the shallots and garlic, and sweat for a few minutes, do not brown.
1 large shallot diced, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves of garlic shredded
So its time to add in dry arborio rice, stirring to coat each grain. Continue to stir to lightly toast the rice, do not brown.
1 cup Arborio rice
Pour 2 glasses of white wine. Take a drink from the first, then add 2nd glass of wine into the rice, stirring to deglaze, until absorbed into rice.
½ cup dry white wine
Now it is time to start to incorporate the simmering stock! One ladle at a time, add stock, and stir. Although some say you must constantly stir, that is not the case. Stirring should be done, but you can walk away and come back to the risotto, stirring occasionally to make sure it does not stick.
5 cups simmering vegetable stock
Once all stock is absorbed, stir in roasted squash. Add in the cream, 4 tablespoons of butter and pecorino. Taste, and adjust now with salt and pepper, and more cheese, if needed.
2 cups butternut squash, ½ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese, ½ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter
Serve as a main dish, or as a side dish with fish, shrimp or chicken.

Notes

You can sub out the squash for sweet potatoes. Use what you have on hand!

The key consistency for risotto is to have it ooze off your serving spoon like molten lava. If it is stiff like mashed potatoes, add more liquid. You can add more stock, or more cream. Risotto that is too thin needs to cook a bit more. Toss whatever fresh herbs over the top that you like. Sage is a perfect combo with butternut squash, but if that is not your jam, add parsley, or rosemary, or a squeeze of lemon, to give it a fresh note.

Nutrition