Okay, you must taste this delicious fall inspired side that will warm your home and make your family smile. Not only does this risotto smell amazing, it is a perfect mid-week pick me up and pairs well with a poultry main course or just a simple salad for light fare. What we love most about this dish is the sweet and savory combination of the vanilla and butternut squash– doesn’t get anymore scrumptious than this!
…Ingredients for Risotto…
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 large vanilla bean
- 3 cups butternut squash, cut into 1 inch squares (about 12 ounces)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
…in a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium-high heat…
…cut the vanilla bean in half length wise and scrape out seeds…
…add the vanilla bean and seeds to broth…
…peal and dice the butternut squash into 1 inch squares…
…when broth comes to a simmer, reduce heat to low…
…add the butternut squash squares to broth…
…cook butternut squash in broth until tender, about 5 minutes…
…transfer cooked squash to a side dish using slotted spoon…
…turn heat under broth to very low, cover to keep warm…
…in a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat…
…add the onion and sauté until tender…
…add the rice to saucepan and stir to coat with butter…
…add the wine and simmer until evaporated, about 3 minutes…
…add 1/2 cup of simmering broth to rice until absorbed, about 2 minutes…
…continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time…
…allow each addition of broth to be absorbed completely before adding the next…
…cook rice until tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy…
…discard the vanilla bean…
…turn off heat under the risotto…
…gently stir in the butternut squash, parmesan cheese and salt…
… add remaining tablespoon of butter…
…transfer risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives…
…serve immediately…
…ENJOY!…
…recipe addapted from Giada’s Kitchen, New Italian Favorites…
Written By, Giada de laurentiis
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