Butternut Squash Risotto

Every year, we're faced with a challenge...what to do with all these winter squashes? Because, really you can have too much soup. So I decided to revisit my pumpkin risotto (that was way too pumpkin-y) and try it with a butternut squash instead.

This recipe requires a bit of planning ahead because of roasting the squash, though you can cheat and peel it, cube it and steam it in the microwave instead. I just prefer the roasted squash. This recipe is also perfect for smaller families. It yields 3 or so nice-sized servings (as a main dish) which means it's enough for two adults and two kids or two adults and a great leftover lunch for one of those two.

Butternut Squash Risotto
1 medium butternut squash
1 cup arborio rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

First, roast the squash. Cut it in half lengthwise and place cut side down in about a 1/4" of water in a glass baking pan. Cook at 450 degrees for 35 minutes or until tender. Set aside and let cool. Once it cools, scoop out the squash and mash in a bowl. Set aside.

In a medium size saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Then stir in the rice and cook until the onion starts to brown (about another 5 minutes).

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the butternut squash and 1/4 cup of broth. Stir constanly. Once the mixture has absorbed the broth, add another 1/4 cup of broth Repeat until you've used all the borth. The broth is absorbed rather quickly at first, but the last quarter cup is absorbed the slowest and the whole process takes about 25 minutes. Be sure to stir almost constantly so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Finally, remove from heat and stir in the cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this with some roasted broccoli or some crispy turnip greens. Both are in season! For a vegan alternative, use Earth Balance or olive oil instead of butter and flavor the risotto with two-three tablespoons of nutritional yeast.