Creamy Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut squash is an excellent vegetable to utilize for a risotto. It is slightly sweet and it has a good flavor. There are various ways one can go about making risotto with butternut squash; you can either cook the squash first (by roasting, steaming or boiling it) or you can cook the squash as you make the risotto. We have found that by adding the raw squash in the beginning of the cooking process, the dish becomes sweeter and the flavor more incorporated. It is also quicker to do it this method, as the squash needs to cook for quite a while in the oven to get soft. Just make sure to cut the squash in small enough pieces.

Method:

Heat the broth up. In a separate pot, sauté the butternut squash and the onion in 3 tablespoons of butter for a few minutes until the squash begins to soften. Add the garlic and the thyme, de-glaze the pan with the dried Vermouth. Add the Arborio rice and sauté for a few minutes.

Slowly, start adding the hot broth, one ladle at a time. Make sure that the liquid is almost completely incorporated before adding another ladle. This should take about 30 minutes. When the risotto is done, add the additional 3 tablespoons butter, the Parmesan cheese and the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.