Butternut Squash Risotto with Pears and Sage (Stove Top)

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pears and Fried Sage

4.28 from 11 votes

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pears and Sage (Stove Top)

Butternut squash risotto recipe made on the stovetop, with pears and sage. This is a traditional Italian method of making risotto, gradually stirring in cups of warm broth in stages.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 25

Course: vegetarian main

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: butternut squash risotto, traditional risotto

Servings:

Calories: 471.4kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
1 cup red onion sliced into thin strips
3 cups vegetable broth
1 cup Arborio risotto rice
¼ cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced butternut squash, ¾" cubes
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 barely ripe pear peeled and seeded, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400˚F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This will be for roasting the squash.
Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot large enough for the entire risotto dish, and add the onions. Sauté on medium high until the onions soften, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low for another 15 minutes. Don't move the onions around very much in the pan so they have a chance to caramelize.
Heat the vegetable broth in a separate pot on the stove. Maintain at a very low simmer, barely bubbling.
Add the Arborio rice to the pot with the onions, and sauté for 10 minutes, or until some of the rice kernels are lightly toasted. Nudge them around the pan only sparingly.
Add the wine and salt, and simmer for 10 minutes - until the wine has been absorbed.
Toss the diced butternut squash in the remaining oil and roast for 15 minutes, until tender.
While the squash roasts, stir 1 cup of warm broth into the risotto, stirring occasionally until it's absorbed. Continue adding broth, ½ cup at a time, to the risotto, always waiting until it's completely absorbed before adding the next ½ cup.
Once the risotto has absorbed 2 cups of broth, the need to stir the risotto increases. This is the secret to getting a creamy risotto. By the final ½ cup, stir almost constantly. When the rice is al dente, stir in the Parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to low.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and sauté until lightly crisped, about 10 minutes. Gently add the sliced pears to the warm butter, and cook for 3 - 5 minutes, or completely warmed.
Fold the roasted butternut squash, pears and sage into the risotto.
Serve warm, immediately.

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