Cozy Butternut Squash Risotto
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: January 30, 2015

A warm and hearty dish of creamy risotto is the perfect winter time comfort food. This scrumptious dish is full of fresh and healthy ingredients like sweet butternut squash, carrots, fresh sage and rosemary, then topped with a nutty parmesan cheese. Serve it with a simple green salad for an easy meal the whole family will love.
Butternut Squash Risotto
Courtesy of Kenwood
Ingredients
For the Puree:
	1 medium white onion
	1 large carrot
	1 medium size butternut squash
	1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
	1 tablespoon brown sugar
	1 teaspoon nutmeg
	1 teaspoon ground clove
	1 teaspoon cinnamon
	Pinch of sea salt and pinch of fresh black pepper
	 
For the Risotto:
	7 tablespoon unsalted butter
	2 tablespoon minced fresh sage
	6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
	2 cups butternut squash puree
	2 tablespoon olive oil
	2/3 cup caramelized onions
	2 cups Arborio rice
	1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
	1/2 cup dry white wine
	1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
	Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
	 
Directions
For the Puree:
	Step 1. Peel onion and carrot. Cut both into small cubes.
	Step 2. Wash butternut squash, remove the skin with a knife or vegetable peeler (place squash in microwave for 2-3 minutes to soften the skin, making it easier to peel), scrape out seeds and pulp and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Step 3. Add olive oil to a large pot and heat on medium for approximately 1-2 minutes. Add in the onions and carrots and cook on medium high heat until onions are translucent.
	Step 4. Add the squash and enough water to cover the squash (approximately 1 to 1 ½ cups of water).
Step 5. Cook the vegetables for about 20 minutes on medium high heat until the squash and carrots are soft. Pour mixture into a heat-resistant blender, such as the Kenwood Blend-X Pro, add in the dry seasonings and pulse for 1 minute until the puree is completely blended. *If you have additional puree use it to create a simple soup, thinning out with some chicken or vegetable stock if needed.
	 
For the Risotto:
	Step 1. Chop herbs and dice the onions. Set the herbs aside for later.
	Step 2. Heat oil in saucepan and caramelize the onions over medium high heat for 12-15 minutes.
	Step 3. Add the rice, herbs and white wine, stirring often to slightly toast the rice.
	Step 4. Increase temperature and add in almost all of the vegetable stock and butternut squash puree, reserve about ½-1 cup of stock if you need to add to the risotto a little later.
	Step 5. Stir the mixture often; once the stock reaches a boil, lower heat and simmer on medium for 25 minutes. Continuing to stir often until the rice reaches a creamy consistency.
	Step 6. When the rice is cooked thoroughly, add the cheese, butter salt and pepper, turn off the heat so the risotto doesn’t get mushy.