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Risotto with Butternut Squash & Basil

This delicious basic risotto with roasted butternut squash and fresh basil is a perfect dish to transition from summer to fall. Risotto is a great recipe for a small dinner party, needing time but not difficult to make otherwise and perfect for chatting.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • About 2 cups of diced butternut squash about 1 small one
  • Olive oil salt and garlic powder for roasting the squash
  • 5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic minced
  • Big glug of white wine around 1/4 to 1/2 cup
  • A generous 1 3/8 cups of risotto rice see notes
  • 3/4 cup of freshly-grated Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese
  • Salt and pepper
  • Fresh basil chiffonade (thinly shredded)

Instructions

  • To roast the butternut squash, preheat the oven to 425 F.  line a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil. 
  • Toss the butternut squash pieces in the olive oil until evenly coated, then spread them out so they'll cook evenly.  Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. 
  • Roast for 15-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the squash.  When they are tender, golden, and crispy, remove from the oven and set aside.
  • Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan, then reduce heat and keep simmering gently over low heat while you are cooking the risotto.
  • Heat the oil with 2 tablespoons of butter in a deep pan over medium heat until the butter has melted. 
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the onion and a few pinches of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden.  Do not let them brown though!
  • Reduce the heat, add the rice, and stir to coat them in the oil and butter.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes or until the grains are translucent.  This is an important step, don't skip it!
  • First, add the white wine and stir for about 30 seconds.  It should smell AMAZING.
  • Gradually add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring gently and constantly.  Do not add the next ladleful until the previous one has been absorbed.  This will take time, just be patient and keep stirring gently.  The whole process might take 30-ish minutes, but will depend on a number of factors.
  • Once you've added the last liquid, increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles.  Cook for 15 more minutes, then add your butternut squash and a handful of Parmesan. 
  • Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  
  • Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter and the fresh basil.  Mix well, then stir in the rest of the parmesan until it melts.  Serve immediately.

Notes

  • To make a basic risotto, leave out the roasted butternut squash and fresh basil, and add in other things as desired.  It's great with roasted vegetables.
  • Either arborio rice or carnaroli rice will work for this.
  • Do not rinse the rice before adding it to the pan...the starch is really important to the final dish and you wouldn't want to rinse it off.