Butternut Squash Risotto with Shredded Gruyère
This rich and hearty butternut squash risotto is a warm and comforting dish for a Fall dinner. Risotto is a labor of love, but the outcome is a bowl full of creamy Italian rice laced with aromatic thyme sprigs and fresh butternut squash.
Ingredients
| 4-6 cups | vegetable stock or chicken stock |
| 1 tbsp | olive oil |
| 1 tbsp | unsalted butter |
| 1 | small yellow onion, diced |
| 1 ½ cups | butternut squash, diced into small cubes |
| kosher salt | |
| cracked black pepper | |
| 3 | garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 tsp | minced fresh thyme sprigs |
| 1 cup | Arborio rice |
| ½ cup | dry white wine |
| ¾ cup | Le Gruyere AOP cheese, shredded |
Instructions
- In a small pot, heat vegetable or chicken stock to a low simmer. Turn heat to low and keep warm for risotto.
- Heat a medium Dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once melted add the yellow onion and stir together. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add in the butternut squash to the onion and season generously with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Stir together and turn heat to medium low. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until the butternut squash starts to soften a bit. Add in garlic and rosemary and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add in the arborio rice and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the rice is golden and toasty.
- Stir in the white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Add in 1 ladle full of stock at a time to the risotto stirring after each addition allowing most of the liquid to be absorbed after each addition. Continue with the warmed stock, stirring often until all of it has been added.
- Once the risotto is creamy and the squash is tender, add in the gruyere cheese and mix together until melted. Top with extra rosemary and taste test for salt before serving.
