Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Sage

This butternut squash risotto is the cozy meal you need when the weather starts to get colder.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 medium white onion, minced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 4 slices of turkey bacon, chopped into small pieces (or pancetta), optional

• 1 32-oz container of chicken stock or vegetable stock

• 1.5 cups of arborio rice (you can also use short grain brown rice, but this might take a bit longer to cook)

• 6-8 sage leaves

• Parmesan cheese for grating

• salt and pepper

• 1/2 cup of dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375.

2. Peel and cube the butternut squash into small bite-sized cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet until slightly browned, about 30-45 minutes. Toss and flip with a spatula after about 20 min or so.

3. While the butternut squash is roasting, heat a couple tbsp of olive oil in a large pot. Add garlic and onions – stir and cook for a few minutes until fragrant and until onions are semi translucent. Add the bacon or pancetta to the pot & give it a stir.

4. In a small pot over medium heat, heat your stock of choice (veggie or chicken)

5. Add the dry rice to the pot and stir well so the rice gets lightly coated with olive oil. Pour in the white wine and stir until liquid has been absorbed/cooked off.

6. When the squash is ready, remove from the oven and fold into your pot of other ingredients.

7. Now, slowly add the stock to the pot and stir frequently. I suggest adding about a 1/2 cup of stock at a time. Then, stir the risotto until all liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid is absorbed, it’s time to add more stock. Once all of your stock has been added, the risotto should seem a bit creamy and thick.

8. Grate Parmesan cheese over the pot and stir into the risotto. How much cheese you add is up to you – I added about 1/2 cup of freshly grated cheese. For a vegan substitute, you can use nutritional yeast instead.

9. Add salt and pepper to taste. NOTE: if you are using salted stock you may not need salt, or as much. Make sure to taste the risotto first and add salt/pepper accordingly.

10. The final step is making the crispy sage, this part is super easy. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan (canola is better for this part since it has a higher smoke point it’s better for crisping). Once the oil is hot, add the sage leaves until crispy. This should only take about 1 minute or less – be careful not to burn the sage! Remove the leaves from the pan and place on a paper towel. Chop the sage and sprinkle over the risotto before serving.