Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Sweet roasted butternut squash pairs beautifully with earthy sage to make this soulful, comforting risotto. Pureeing and folding in the roasted bulb of squash gives the risotto a rich depth of flavor, creamy texture, and beautiful golden-orange hue.… — Sweet roasted butternut squash pairs beautifully with earthy sage to make this soulful, comforting risotto. Pureeing and folding in the roasted bulb of squash gives the risotto a rich depth of flavor, creamy texture, and beautiful golden-orange hue. (Photo source: Jared Kent)

| Yield: 4-6 servings | Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes |

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash

½ cup vegetable oil, divided

1 cup Arborio rice

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 large white onion, diced small

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 bunch sage leaves, minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup white wine

6 cups vegetable stock or hot water

1 cup almond milk

½ cup parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

salt and pepper to taste

parsley leaves or other green herbs, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425F. Peel the entire squash and cut off the lower bulb. Pick the seeds out of the pulpy flesh and cut the bulb (with the pulp) into medium-sized chunks.

Toss the chunks of the bulb with half of the vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the chunks of bulb out onto a baking pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until they’re soft and slightly browned on the outside.

As the bulb is roasting, cut the neck of the squash into ½ inch cubes. Heat the remaining oil over high heat in a large pan. Add the cubes of squash and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until they’re slightly dark on the outside.

In a separate pot, bring the vegetable stock or hot water up to a simmer.

Turn the pan with the squash down to medium-high heat. Add the rice, garlic, onion, pepper flakes, sage, and thyme, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the rice becomes translucent.

Add the white wine into the pan and cook for 2-3 more minutes, just until most of the liquid has cooked out.

Begin to add the hot stock into the pan. Ladle about 1 ½ cups of hot stock into the pan at a time. After each ladle, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle, and repeat.

Continue until all the liquid has been used and the rice is soft, the whole process should take 20-25 minutes.

Once the bulb of squash is soft, transfer to a blender and blend with the almond milk until smooth.

Remove the sprigs of thyme from the risotto and fold the pureed squash into the pan. Add in the cheese and stir to fully incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot. Garnish with fresh green herbs if desired.

Zero-waste tips

• Save the seeds from the squash and toast with a little olive oil and salt for a crunchy, healthy snack.

• The peels from the butternut squash can also be tossed with a little olive oil and roasted until crispy.

• To clean out the pantry, you could also use faro or quinoa in place of the rice.