There’s nothing more satisfying than a piping hot pot of creamy risotto, the variations and combinations of fresh seasonal vegetables and spices you can use are endless. I’ve posted many different risotto’s throughout the different seasons on this blog but my absolute favorite this time of year is, butternut squash risotto.
Roasted butternut squash gets folded into a creamy rice base flavored with parmesan, white wine, a hint of sage, onion and broth, then topped with crispy browned butter sage leaves, it is heavenly!
This dish could be the star of the show or play a supporting role as a side dish, below I’ll show you how I paired it with roasted shrimp, another wonderful variation.
I like to cut up my own squash, I usually buy a large one, dice it up and roast the whole thing and you can do this days ahead of time. Of course you won’t need that much for the risotto you’ll have extra but that’s a good thing, you can toss it into salads, soups, pasta, stews and omelettes, you get the picture it will never go to waste.
Using quality ingredients are the key to a good risotto, a short grain Italian rice called arborio, some good white wine that you would drink yourself, and an absolute must is freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Have everything prepped and ready to go including a good heavy bottomed pot and of course a wooden spoon.
Before you begin you want to make sure the broth that you’re using is nice and warm and continually simmering on your stove, you never want to add cold broth to your risotto, that’s a no no!
There’s a hint of sage within the risotto, but then you top it off with crispy sage that’s been frizzled in brown butter, it gets broken up when scooping from the pot adding more delicious flavor through out.
If you want to serve a really spectacular dish, one that will impress your guests beyond and truly rival any restaurant meal, add some roasted shrimp on top, oh my!
Don’t let the whole process of making risotto intimidate you, it’s a cinch once you get the hang of it and it’s definitely worth it in the end!
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- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, trimmed, cut into ½ inch dice and roasted, you will need about 2 cups for this recipe, save extra for other dishes
- 1½ cups of short grain, Italian arborio rice
- 1 quart box organic chicken stock or veggie if you prefer, low salt or homemade if you have it
- heaping cup or more to of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- ½ cup good white wine
- ½ large onion, small dice
- 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped sage plus extra leaves to crisp up in the end
- butter
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- PREPARING THE SQUASH
- Prepare your squash a day or two ahead of time. Cut off the tip and bottom. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler then cut the squash in half crosswise where the neck meets the fatter part. Stand it up and make slices about ½ inch thick, stack the slices and continue to dice into ½ dice.
- Place cut squash onto a rimmed baking sheet drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper roast in a 425 degree oven, tossing gently until tender and golden and the moisture is out, it doesn't take too long, maybe 15 minutes or so, keep checking.
- If doing ahead of time let the squash cool down and place it into a container and refrigerate it. When ready to use just pull it out and get it to room temperature.
- MAKING THE RISOTTO
- Open your stock, place it into a saucepan and have it simmering on the stove.
- In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat add 1 tablespoon of butter and a quick drizzle of olive oil.
- Add your diced onion and cook until soft.
- Add in the rice and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure to get it heated through and covered with the butter and olive oil.
- Deglaze with the white wine, letting it bubble and cook down until you're starting to see no moisture.
- Add in one ladle full of the simmered broth stirring until the liquid is absorbed, then repeat with another ladle full.
- Continue with the adding of broth and stirring constantly, you'll start to see the grain releasing their starch which creates the creaminess for the ultimate risotto.
- The rice should be slightly al'dente and not over cooked, so towards the end you'll have to taste as you go.
- When desired creaminess is attained remove from heat, stir in the chopped fresh sage and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano,taste for salt and pepper then gently fold in your butternut squash.
- in a small skillet add a ½ stick of butter, let it start to brown then throw in a handful of fresh sage leaves and let them frizzle and crisp up.
- Garnish your risotto with the crispy sage leaves and spoon a little of that brown butter sauce all around the top.
- Enjoy!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
