Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage & Pine Nuts

My current goal is to make at least 2 BonAppetit recipes a month and I have far surpassed that this month. I suppose when one magazine has 15 recipes I am capable of making, I have my work cut out for me.

Risotto is an intimidating dish to make, even if it is just rice. I've made it pre-packaged with all the ingredients in it, had Trader Joe's frozen mushroom risotto, and had it at restaurants, but never had I made it from scratch.

 This dish is not rocket science, but does include some ingredients that you may not be familiar with. I did tweak it to make it my own & took out the pine nuts because if there's one food Grant hates, it's pine nuts. When you are finished making this dish, you will have fabulous biceps (the chopping & stirring will make you need a Tylenol), and you will have a delicious dish on your table. Here we go....!

Serves: 6

Time: 1:30


Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 butternut squash, peeled(this is easier said than done), seeded(just like a pumpkin), cut into 1/2-inch cubes (the magazine said 6 cups, but I used 4 and it was more than enough)
  • Sea salt (kosher salt works fine too)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage(I skipped it b/c i forgot to buy it. I used fresh thyme instead) 
  • 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar(I bought white wine vinegar b/c it's easier to find & will get used over and over) 
  • 2 onions, chopped (I only used one large onion...those suckers were big!) 
  • 3 1/2 cups good-quality canned vegetable broth (This is for making it vegetarian. Just use chicken broth, it's easier & you probably have some in your pantry.)
  • 1 1/2 cups (12oz. )arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup medium-dry Sherry or Marsala(I had a bottle of Merlot so that's what I used- still just as good)
  • 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted, divided(I wanted to cry over leaving these out, but gotta make the boy happy) 
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese (I had some grated in the fridge, so that's what I used.) 
  • 4 ounces crisply cooked coarsely crumbled thinly sliced pancetta (I cooked up 4 pieces of bacon & chopped them to top off the dish. Again, you probably already have this in the fridge.)

Preparation

  • Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add squash; sprinkle with sea salt and sauté until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add chopped sage, and cook until just tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle white wine vinegar over; toss to incorporate. Transfer squash to plate. Wipe skillet clean.
  • Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet over high heat. Add chopped onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and sauté until onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes; set aside. Bring 3 1/2 cups chicken broth to simmer in large saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
  • Add arborio rice to onions in skillet. Stir until rice is slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add red wine; stir until absorbed. Add 1 cup warm broth mixture; stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding broth mixture by cupfuls until rice is just tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, stirring almost constantly and adding squash after 15 minutes, about 20 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in 6 tablespoons toasted pine nuts. Transfer squash risotto to large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining toasted pine nuts over risotto.
Top risotto with shaved Parmesan and crumbled pancetta(or bacon), if desired.

The time on this dish is about 1hr 30min from start to finish, but totally worth it. This is a very hearty dish and perfect for a chilly winter night. It also makes for some fabulous leftovers.