Butternut Squash Risotto

Source: Williams-Sonoma

This is my altered recipe:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups butternut squash puree* (mine turned out to be a little less)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup caramelized onions*
2 cups Arborio rice
/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
3/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add 1/8 teaspoon of dried sage and heat until the butter browns. Cover the bowl to keep the butter warm.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.

In a large saucepan or risotto pan (I used my Le Creuset French Oven) over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened and caramelized, about 45 minutes (see notes below). Add rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon sage and the rosemary. Add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more. (I almost never use as much stock as they call for. After several ladles, I begin tasting and stop as soon as the rice is tender, but still quite firm. In this case, I froze the leftover stock - about 1.5 cups left - and squash puree for use in a soup recipe later on.)

When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, the cheese, salt and pepper. Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy. Let stand for 2 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

*My Notes:

I halved my butternut squash, scooped out the seeds and roasted it, face down, on a foil-lined baking sheet at 350º for minutes. I scooped the flesh off the skin and pureed it in my food processor until smooth.

While the squash is roasting, you can caramelize the onions.

For the caramelized onions, I thinly sliced one large onion. I heated 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a French Oven on medium heat and added the onion, seasoned them with a bit of salt and pepper, then reduced the heat to low and covered the pot. I slowly cooked the onions for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more liquid to the pot as the onions cook down - I used white wine as needed.

I talked about this recipe HERE.