Butternut Squash Risotto

Gary said this is one of the best things I ever made!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup white wine
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 TB minced garlic
3-4 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
A big handful of fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
3-4 TB of toasted pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the butternut squash, mushrooms, and sage. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat the vegetables. Roast the veggies in the oven until soft, approximately 30-40 minutes.

To cook the risotto, heat a few TB of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and onions, and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste. While you are cooking the onions, warm the broth in a separate pot over medium low heat (do not boil). Risotto cooks best when the broth is warm.

Stir in the rice. Cook for about 2 minutes until rice is covered with oil and lightly toasted. Pour in the white wine. Stir the rice constantly until the wine is almost completely absorbed, and the rice starts getting plump and creamy. Begin adding broth, 1/2 cup at a time. Each time you add broth, continue to stir the risotto until the broth is almost absorbed, and then add more. Continue until all your broth is used up. The whole process will take about 20-25 minutes. The rice should be soft and creamy by the time you are done.

Stir in the parmesan cheese until it is melted. Finally, stir in the roasted vegetables and toasted pine nuts. (To toast pine nuts, place in the toaster oven or regular oven at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet for about 3 minutes.) Sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately. Serves 2 with leftovers.

To rewarm leftover risotto, add a little milk to moisten before reheating in the microwave or the stovetop.