By: Holly Tieu, Product Manager at Farmhouse Delivery
Serves 4; Cook Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 cups butternut squash, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup shallots or yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine
- 1 tbsp butter
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch fresh sage, leaves picked
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + additional for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine butternut squash with 1 tbsp. olive oil, ½ tsp. salt and pepper. Roast for 18 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Set cooked butternut squash aside.
2. While the butternut squash is roasting, add chicken broth and water to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
3. Heat a large high-sided sauté pan over medium-low with 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil. When the butter melts add the diced shallots and garlic, and season with a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the arborio rice and sauté for 3 minutes to coat the rice in fat. The rice should begin to turn translucent.
4. Add the vermouth and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, until almost all of the vermouth has evaporated and absorbed, and the rice is just moistened.
5. Next, add 1 cup of warm broth and stir to combine. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth is reduced to a creamy consistency, but not fully evaporated (about 5 minutes). Repeat with 3 cups of warm broth – add 1 cup, simmer, stir occasionally until thick and creamy before adding the next cup. After the 4th cup of broth has been added and simmered down, the rice should be tender with just the slightest firm texture in the center.
6. Add about ⅓ of the roasted butternut squash to a bowl and lightly mash with a fork. This step is optional, but it imparts more squash flavor and its beautiful orange color. Add the mashed butternut squash, remaining ⅔ cubed butternut squash, and final cup of broth to the risotto. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy. When you stir the risotto with a wooden spoon, you should be able to see the bottom of the pan, but the risotto will be runny enough to slowly flow back in to fill in the space.
7. Remove risotto from heat and stir in grated parmesan cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Depending on the saltiness of the broth and cheese, you may need to add between ¼ to 1 tsp. salt. If the risotto appears too thick, adjust by adding a few tablespoons of water to reach desired consistency.
8. Prepare the crispy sage. Heat a small sauté pan with ¼ cup olive oil over medium to medium-high. Fry 6-8 sage leaves at a time until crisp, about 3-5 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt.
9. Garnish butternut squash risotto with crispy sage leaves and parmesan cheese.