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butternut squash risotto with sage and saffron
It’s 82 degrees outside today. But I will press forward with the fall recipes.
I was pretty happy with the way this recipe turned out. Then again, I would be happy with pretty much anything that has a handful of parmesan cheese thrown into it.
Some people are intimidated by risotto. Don’t be. So much of it’s success depends on your own preference. As you near the end of the recipe, and you’ve used up about half the liquid, start tasting the rice. If you like the texture, then you’re done. Stir in the parmesan and serve it. If the rice is still too crunchy, keep stirring, and add more liquid. Each time the rice absorbs all the stock and you think you’re ready to add more stock, wait before you add it, and taste it again. It’s done when you think it is.
butternut squash risotto with sage and saffron
1/2 small (1 1/2 pounds, or 700g) butternut squash
olive oil
fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, minced
1 pinch of saffron threads
1 cup (220g) arborio rice
1/2 cup (125g) dry white wine (or 1/4 cup of white grape juice, plus one teaspoon of champagne vinegar)
5-6 cups (1.25-1.5 kilos) homemade chicken stock (see chicken stock recipe, coming soon!), or 3 cups canned, plus three cups of water
1/3 cup (25g) grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees Celsius). Peel the butternut squash. Slice off ends, turn on one end and slice in half. Wrap one half and save for a future use. Scoop out seeds and discard. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place on a cookie sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and a few sage leaves. Roast for 30 minutes until tender.
2. In a small pot, simmer the chicken stock (or canned broth with water).
3. In a large skillet, melt butter in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over low heat. Add shallots, and saute. Add rice, and stir until the rice grains begin to turn translucent. Crumble in saffron threads.
4. Increase the heat to medium low. Pour in wine, and stir until liquid is absorbed. (Test absorption by scraping a wooden spoon along the bottom of the skillet. If the rice and liquid do not fill in the path made by the spoon, then it is time to add more liquid.)
5. Ladle in 1/2 cup of stock. Stir frequently until liquid is absorbed. Add another 1/2 cup of stock, and stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed again. Repeat this process until rice is desired texture. Most people prefer the rice to be a bit chewy in the center, but not crunchy. This should take about twenty minutes.
6. Once the rice is smooth, and the desired texture, add in the grated parmesan cheese, a teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves, and the roasted butternut squash.
7. Spoon into bowls and garnish with sage leaves and parmesan cheese shavings
I ADORE risotto! This one looks incredible! I usually make mine in the pressure cooker so that I don’t have to stand over it the whole time. I may try to adapt this one to the PC and see how I do with it.
Y U M M M M M M M !
Looks delicious! Risotto would be a first for me to make – but with all the butternut squash I have – I am thinking to give this a try!
Looks like fall on a plate, even if it is still warm outside!
This looks so yummy! I cant wait to try this. thanks for sharing
This looks SO good and the best part is I have all of these ingredients in the house except squash! I think I have to make this!
Would I be able to use Spanish saffron and vegetable stock as substitutes?
When I make this, I add the squash, grated, about 2/3s the way through the cooking.
[...] saw this recipe on a very delicious food blog called Sophistimom. She made risotto look so easy (despite knowing [...]
[...] a cook on another food blog called Chew on That, put up a post today that shows how she made the butternut squash risotto with saffron and sage. She made it for Rosh Hashanah, which starts tonight, and modified the recipe so she could serve [...]
I made this tonight after finding the link to your blog on the Chew on That blog. It was fantastic! I didn’t use saffron, because I don’t really like the flavor, but I did everything else as directed and it was delish. Thanks for the recipe!