Description
A comforting and luxurious butternut squash risotto featuring roasted squash, crispy chorizo, and a nutty sage brown butter drizzle. This creamy risotto is perfect for fall and special occasions, combining sweet squash and savory cheese flavors with a delightful crispy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Squash and Roasting
- 1 butternut squash (roughly 1kg/2lb)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
Risotto Base
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
- 1/4 cup wine (white or rose)
- 4 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
Toppings and Finishing
- 2oz/50g chorizo, casing removed and diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A handful of sage leaves
- Grated parmesan cheese (for finishing)
Instructions
- Roast the butternut squash: Heat oven to 400F/210C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Slice the squash lengthwise into two halves and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle each cut half with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Place cut side down on the tray and roast for 45 minutes until soft and slightly charred.
- Cook the chorizo: While the squash roasts, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add diced chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté onion and garlic: In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion and 1 teaspoon salt, cooking until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add crushed garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Toast the rice and add wine: Add arborio rice to the pan, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to lightly toast. Pour in the wine and cook until it bubbles and the alcohol evaporates, around 2 minutes.
- Add roasted squash and stock: Scoop roasted squash flesh from skins directly into the pan. Stir to combine. Add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, stirring frequently and allowing each ladleful to absorb before adding the next. Continue until stock is fully absorbed and rice is al dente (about 18-20 minutes).
- Finish with cheese: Stir in grated parmesan and gruyere cheeses until creamy. Remove from heat.
- Prepare sage brown butter: In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir constantly as it foams and turns golden brown with nutty aroma and brown specks. Add sage leaves carefully and toss in butter for 1 minute until crisp. Remove from heat.
- Serve: Divide the risotto onto plates. Top with crispy chorizo, spoon over sage brown butter along with the crispy sage leaves, and finish with extra grated parmesan. Serve hot.
Notes
- This recipe is all done in one pot aside from roasting the squash and makes for a cozy meal perfect for fall.
- Prepare the chorizo and start cooking onions while the squash roasts to save time.
- If onions brown too fast while cooking, add a splash of water to slow cooking and prevent burning.
- Use vegetable stock to keep the recipe vegetarian; use chicken stock for extra richness if not vegetarian.
- Feel free to substitute chorizo for a vegetarian sausage or omit for a fully vegetarian dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 350g
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
