Butternut Squash Risotto
This week we ate over 6 lbs of butternut squash. We had some left over, surprise, surprise, so I pulled together this dish with a few things we had in our fridge.
When making this recipe, I like to add a bit of the butternut squash half way through. This lot will cook down into the risotto and the flavor will build as it continues to cook. If you prefer, you can add it all towards the end. This lets the cheese play a more prominent role - both are good!
Ingredients
Prep time: 45 minutes (including cooking the squash)
Cooking time: approx. 30 minutes (for the risotto)
Yield: 4 servings
2 c butternut squash
2 tbs butter
2c arborio rice
6c chicken stock
1 tbs olive oil, salt and pepper
Pinch of thyme
Pinch of sage
2c spinach, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2c parmesan
2oz goat cheese
6 tbs pine nuts
Roasting the butternut squash
Preheat oven to 425F
Cube the squash, and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper
Stir to evenly coat the squash and place on a lined baking tray. Roast for 30 minutes and set aside to cool.
Making the Risotto
Melt 2 tbs butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the dry rice and coat with butter
Add 1 cup of chicken stock, reduce heat to medium-low and stir until the rice has absorbed the stock.
Repeat this 2 more times until a total of 3 cups have been added
Add 1/2c of the squash, and another cup of stock. Stir until this cup of liquid has been absorbed and repeat 2 more times. This will bring the total to 6 cups.
You can always add more or less stock depending on the rice. When it is slower to absorb you can add by 1/2c until it stops absorbing any more liquid and is cooked through.
Set some squash and goat cheese to the side to serve as a topping once you’ve plated the risotto
Add the spices (1/4 tsp of pepper, thyme, and sage), 2 c spinach, parmesan, goat cheese and remaining squash. Stir to incorporate, and until the spinach is wilted
Toast the pine nuts when the risotto is done cooking and cooling. This needs your complete attention! In a small non-stick pan add 6 tbs (1.5 tbs per serving) of pine nuts and roast over medium heat. The trick is once they start to brown keep them moving (shaking works best).
Top your risotto with a bit of the extra squash, goat cheese, and pine nuts. Enjoy!
