Butternut Squash Risotto

Our next door neighbor Pat has a wonderfully productive garden where she grows much of her own food. We are the lucky beneficiaries of her overflow in times when, for example, she has harvested 15 large butternut squash and there are still 15 more on the vine.

No matter how much Pat loves winter squash, even she knows that she can’t eat all thirty of them by herself. Yikes!

Here’s a lovely risotto we made recently with about half of one butternut squash that Pat brought over. (The other half went into pumpkin bread.)

The risotto is so simple, with arborio rice, squash, broth, onions, white wine, and Parmesan; it just takes a bit of attention (stirring) while the rice slowly absorbs the broth.

Butternut Squash Risotto Recipe

We are serving this with chopped chives, but you could also crisp up a few fresh sage leaves in simmering butter, then crumble them into the risotto.

Ingredients

• 6 cups (1.4 liters) chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option, and gluten-free stock for gluten-free version)
• 5 Tbsp (70g) unsalted butter, divided into 4 Tbsp (56g) and 1 Tbsp (14g)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 2 cups (240g) butternut squash, peeled, and finely diced (1/4-1/2 inch)
• 2 cups (400g) arborio rice (can substitute medium grained white rice, but arborio is preferred)
• 1 cup (236 ml) dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• 3/4 cup (1.5 oz, 40g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 Tbsp chopped chives or garlic chives
• Salt

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