Butternut Squash Risotto {Baby Friendly!}

Hi, friends!  I posted a short version of this recipe last night on snap chat {username: andy-adler}, and there was a lot of interest to post a full version so I thought that I would share it.  This is actually a recipe that I posted on here almost 2 years ago.  I dug it out of the archives, and have made some minor tweaks to it over the past couple of years, but the cooking process is exactly the same.

This recipe is also extremely baby friendly.  Isla absolutely loves risotto.  She loves the creamy consistency of risotto, so I make a big pot of it about once a week for her, and always grate up {read: sneak in!} seasonal veggies into the mixture.  

Once the weather starts to cool down, and butternut squash becomes readily available, I LOVE to play around with different ways to prepare the sweet tasting squash.  One of my favorite ways is to roast it in the oven, and add it into risotto.  Risotto is one of my staple recipes that I've really mastered and the addition of the sweet & nutty flavored butternut squash combined with the creamy risotto really embodies cold weather comfort food.

Tackling a butternut squash for the first time can be a little intimidating and most of the time I seek out squash that has already been prepped & cut into small chunks from the produce department at Whole Foods {out of pure laziness}.  If you're unsure about peeling & cutting up your squash, here's a good link that shows you exactly how to do it!

This recipe is excellent served on it's own, or makes a great side dish to chicken or fish.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do! 

Ingredients

3 cups prepped butternut squash, cut into small chunks
Olive oil
Salt & fresh ground black pepper

Garlic powder
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
1 large shallot, minced 
1 cup arborio rice 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired 


Directions

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place squash in a medium bowl, drizzle with olive oil {enough to thoroughly coat it}, and heavily season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder.  Toss to coat.  Spread out squash on a baking sheet and bake for around 15-20 minutes, turning twice throughout the duration of cooking.  You want the squash to be soft, and lightly browned up for extra flavor.  Remove from oven and set aside.

While the squash is baking, heat chicken broth in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Once heated, reduce heat to the lowest setting to remain warm but not at a state of simmer.

In a large saute pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in shallot and saute until fragrant, around 1 minute.  Add in dry rice, and stir constantly, ensuring that each grain is coated in the olive oil.  The rice will begin to "toast" up, and once you begin to smell the rice after a couple of minutes, it's time to move onto the next step.

Pour in 1 and 1/2 cup of the warmed chicken broth, and about half of the cooked butternut squash, stirring and pressing down on the butternut squash with the back of a large spoon to "smash" it down so that it can easily blend into the risotto.  Reduce heat to medium low.

Constantly stir the rice until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and when the pan starts looking & feeling dry again, add in another 1/2 cup of broth.  Continue this stirring/adding broth process until you have transferred all 32 ounces of the broth to the rice pan, and the rice is "al dente", around 30 minutes total cooking. 

Next, add in the last half of your cooked butternut squash into the rice mixture.  Don't mash this batch of squash down {you'll want larger chunks to stay intact for texture}.  Stir well to incorporate.

Add in cheese, if desired, and divide evenly among plates.  

Thanks for reading.  Have a great weekend! xx