Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients

Olive oil spray

2 cups diced butternut squash

Sea salt and pepper for seasoning

1 quart (32 ounces) low sodium vegetable stock

2 Tbls extra virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup minced Italian parsley

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbls ghee or butter

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tbls fresh thyme

Preparation

Set oven temp to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and arrange the squash evenly on the dish. Lightly coat the squash with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15-20 minutes and set aside.

Bring the stock to a boil, reduce heat and maintain at a constant simmer.

In a large saucepan pan, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft but not browned. Lower the temperature if necessary to prevent browning.

Add the parsley and rice. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to stir for 2-3 minutes longer until the rice is coated with oil.

Add the wine, bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium and stir until the wine is absorbed.

Using a soup ladle, transfer enough stock to barely cover the rice.

Stir frequently until absorbed in about 5 minutes.

Continue adding stock and stirring until the rice is creamy on the outside and tender on the inside with a firm texture. Begin taste testing after about 15 minutes. The texture should be soft and firm, not mushy.

Gently fold in the ghee, Parmesan cheese and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

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About

If you’ve ever watched Gordon Ramsey rant about the risotto on Hell’s Kitchen, you might get the impression that risotto is impossible to make. It’s not! It just takes some time and patience. The secret is cooking the risotto over a medium-high heat, adding just enough stock to cover the rice, and then allowing it to be absorbed before adding more. Traditional risotto recipes use lots of butter, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese for flavor. This recipe gets its flavor from a good base of garlic, onions, and fresh herbs. To save time, I used a prepackaged butternut squash that’s already peeled; then, I simply cut the squash into a 1/4-inch dice.