Butternut Squash Risotto
When I was living in Rome for grad school, my housemate happened to be a trained chef and spoiled me with many a great meal. One of my absolute favorites was her butternut squash risotto made with prosecco, Pecorino Romano, butternut squash, and fried sage. In the colder months, I find myself craving this meal often so I decided to try to recreate a version of my own!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups frozen cubed butternut squash
3 tbsp olive oil, divided (2 tbsp for sage, 1 for butternut squash)
1 cup dry white wine or prosecco
10 cups chicken stock, warmed on low-heat
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, plus additional for topping
4 tbsp toasted pine nuts
4 tbsp sage, chopped roughly
Directions:
In a medium skillet on low-medium heat, toast the pine nuts until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan on high heat. Allow the oil to come to temperature before adding the sage, frying briefly until crispy. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel, set aside.
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butternut squash. Cook untiled golden and softened - about 15 minutes.
Add rice and gently toss to coat in oil. Continue to stir gently until rice begins to pop -about 3-5 minutes.
Add white wine to deglaze the pan, stirring gently and constantly until the wine is absorbed.
Add 1 ladle of chicken stock at a time, allowing to completely absorb into the rice before adding an additional ladle. Continue this process until the rice is al dente, leaving about 1-2 ladles of broth remaining.
Turn off the heat and stir in the salt, remaining broth, cheese, and butter. Stir for two more minutes.
Serve in shallow bowls, carefully banging the plate on the counter until the risotto lies flat. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil, additional cheese, toasted pine nuts, and fried sage.
