My sister and I took a cooking class in Italy a few years ago. The Chef was speaking very slowly to our group, probably because English was his 2nd language and he was ensuring we understood him. Duh. Impatiently, I kept “helping” him along by finishing his sentences. At a certain point, he put me in charge of stirring the risotto – which I assumed was the most important job. Obvi.
I didn’t understand why my sister was cracking up….until she came over, and gleefully informed me that as a corporate software trainer, she used to put “the most annoying person in the class”, in charge of something that was time consuming and away from everyone else. So……… yeah. That happened.
My point, and I do have one – risotto is a little time consuming when it gets to the stirring part. If you have a particular guest you’d like to, ummm….occupy – put them in charge of risotto stirring.
Anyhoo, this dish is creamy, flavorful and festive! Cutting out the cream, and using less butter lightens up the dish yet it’s still super flavorful. The addition of butternut squash not only cuts the calories, it adds a nice balance of sweetness and textural dimension to the dish!
Heads-up – a whole butternut squash is really hard to cut through and peel, so I always buy it pre-cut and cubed. Trust me, it’ll save you a lot of time and annoyance, lol. This recipe makes (12) side servings and is even better the next day so don’t worry about leftovers. Enjoy!
Lite Sage Risotto & Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 4 cups butternut squash, cubed into 1/4″ pieces
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 cup white wine
- 12 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup fresh sage, chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable stock in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bringing it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low.
- Next, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and squash stirring frequently until the onion is translucent. Stir in the rice and garlic, cooking for another minute or so.
- Now add the wine, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock a half-cup at a time, stirring constantly after each addition until the liquid is mostly absorbed. This is what makes is creamy!
- Keep stirring in the stock (a half-cup at a time) until the rice and squash are tender. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes.
- Finally, stir in the fresh sage and parmesan cheese, season to taste with salt and pepper. It’s ready to serve!
