Lunch / Dinner
Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta & Sage
This workhorse of classic Italian cuisine gets rich additions—roasted squash, pancetta, and sage.
Ingredients
For maximum squash flavor, it’s used in two forms—pureed and diced. Don’t add the puree too soon; it’ll make the risotto gummy
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
Toss squash with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Purée 1 cup roasted squash in a food processor or blender until smooth; reserve puréed squash and remaining roasted squash.
Simmer broth in a saucepan; keep it warm over low heat.
Sauté pancetta in a large sauté pan over medium heat until it’s crisp, 5 minutes. Add onion; sauté 2–3 minutes. Add cinnamon; cook 1 minute. Stir in rice; cook 1–2 minutes to coat grains with drippings.
Add wine. Simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer until it’s completely absorbed. Continue adding broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and adding more broth only after previous addition is absorbed.
Taste rice after cooking it for 15 minutes; continue cooking until rice is firm but not chalky in the center. Stir in puréed squash; remove risotto from heat.
Stir in reserved roasted squash, fontina, parsley, sage, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Rest risotto for 1–2 minutes, covered, to allow grains to continue absorbing liquid.
Drizzle four dinner plates with balsamic; top each plate with a serving of risotto.
Peel the squash, halve it lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Dice the flesh before roasting it.
Once the wine is absorbed, start adding the chicken broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring frequently.
Remove the risotto from the heat. Stir in the reserved roasted squash, along with the fontina and herbs.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 400
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 24%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 28mg 9%
Sodium 357mg 14%
Carbs 49g 16%
Fiber 5g 20%
Protein 11g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.