Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash

This risotto is rich and creamy and delicious, and has added texture and flavor punch with roasted butternut squash.  Risotto is made from Arborio rice.  The creaminess comes from the method used to prepare it.  Hot stock is added to the rice at ½ cup intervals, allowing each ½ cup of stock to be absorbed before adding the next.  As it cooks a creamy liquid is released.  The risotto requires quite a bit of attention, as you will need to constantly stir it to prevent sticking.  Plan to spend about 25 – 30 minutes at the stove from start to finish.  The extra attention is worth it in the end.

For my risotto, I roast the butternut squash prior to starting the dish, set it aside and then add it to the risotto after adding the final ½ cup of stock.  I begin to build flavor right at the start with sautéed shallots and a touch of sherry.  The risotto is finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped flat-leaf parsley.  Risotto is traditionally finished off with butter, but I left it out and to be honest, I did not miss it at all!  In fact, my recipe does not use any butter, rather I start it off with extra virgin olive oil and that is it.

As you know from my recipes, I am always conscious of the amount of sodium I use in a recipe, so if you like, feel free to add additional salt during the cooking process, but remember that the cheese will add additional saltiness right at the end. 

 
Enjoy!

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash

Yields:  About 4 cups of risotto (I serve 1/3 to ½ cup portions)

 

Roasted Butternut Squash:

1 Small (about 1-1/2 pounds) Butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and diced into ½ inch cubes

1 ½ Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
Few dashes each of sea salt and cracked black pepper
A few grates of fresh nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Place the diced squash in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and transfer the squash to a baking sheet pan, spread out in a single layer, sprinkle with cracked black pepper and a few dashes of sea salt.  Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized.  Remove from oven, grate some nutmeg over the squash, toss, cover, and set aside.

Risotto:

 

1 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 Large shallot, small dice
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 Cups Chicken Stock, unsalted and fat-free
1 ½ Cups Arborio Rice (uncooked)
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt (additional salt to taste)
¼ Cup Sherry, a medium full bodied style
Roasted butternut squash (see above)
1/3 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
½ Cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

 Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a saucepan.  Once at a simmer, turn down to lowest setting to keep the stock hot for the entire preparation.

Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil then add the shallots and garlic.  Cook until shallots are translucent, about 3 – 5 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning the garlic.

 
Add the rice, and salt and cook for about 1 minute; stir to coat.  Next add the sherry, and cook for another 2 minutes while stirring.
 
Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add ½ cup of the stock; keep the mixture boiling, stirring constantly.

As soon as the stock is absorbed, add another ½ cup of stock and stir.  Repeat this method until the last ½ cup of stock is left.  The Risotto must be kept boiling, and must be stirred to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot.  DO NOT COVER!

Add the final ½ cup of stock, stir and add the roasted butternut squash.  Cook and stir until the liquid is absorbed, and the mixture is creamy.  Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

This will pair well seafood, chicken, pork, and beef.

Leftovers:

• The risotto can be reheated in a microwave oven the next day.
• I used the leftover risotto in place of the whole grain brown rice in my Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole (very tasty!).