This would be a fabulous recipe to have on your Thanksgiving table. It's comforting and creamy and screams fall. And you could absolutely omit the prosciutto and keep it vegetarian for the people who don't eat turkey. You can even swap out the butter for vegan butter and not add in the parmesan and make it totally Vegan! It's a very versatile dish that's also totally scrumptious, packed with flavor and looks visually pleasing.
Here's how to make it:
This is enough to feed 6 people.
You will need -
1lb Butternut Squash, cubed
3 Tbsp Olive oil (2 to roast the squash in and 1 for the base of the risotto)
3 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Large Yellow Onion (or one whole small)
2 Tsp Salt (one for the risotto and one for the butternut squash)
2 Tsp black pepper (one for the risotto and one for the butternut squash)
3 Cloves Garlic, crushed
2 Cups Arborio Rice
1 Cup White Wine
1 1/2 Cartons of Vegetable Broth (48floz)
1/3 Cup Parmesan
10 Sage Leaves
6 Slices of Prosciutto
Start by roasting your cubed butternut squash with the 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper in the oven at 425 F for 25 minutes, flipping half way through so one side doesn't get too brown.
Next, in a hot skillet with a little olive oil, add in your sage leaves and cook for 1 minute. They should pop and sizzle. Do not leave any longer or they will burn. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain.
In the same hot skillet, add in your slices of prosciutto and cook about 2 minutes on each side until crispy. Place on the same paper towels to drain and set aside.
Now it's time to make your risotto!
In a large dutch oven, sauté your onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsps of butter with your 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of black pepper. I like to cook the butter until browned which adds so much flavor. I then add in the risotto rice and toast it in the pan for a minute to infuse the flavors. Add in the cup of white wine to de-glaze the pan. I would recommend using a Pinot Grigio for this as Sauvignon Blanc can be too fruity to cook with.
Once the wine has absorbed in to the rice, start slowly adding in your vegetable broth, a little at a time, stir and wait for the liquid to absorb, then add more. Keep stirring and doing this until the rice is cooked and the liquid is gone. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes of stirring and watching it. You want the rice to still be slightly nutty, not too mushy.
Just before it's ready, add in your butternut squash and parmesan and stir to melt the cheese. Just before it's ready to serve, add in another 1 tbsp of butter and stir it in to make it extra creamy.
Plate it up on a platter or large bowl and place over your sage, prosciutto and some extra shavings of parmesan. Enjoy this dish with a lovely glass of white wine!
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