Extra creamy roasted butternut squash risotto with lemon and arugula. So dreamy !
It is definitely time for an extra creamy roasted butternut squash risotto recipe for dinner. Because really any time is a good time for a risotto, if it’s creamy I mean. So I said let’s make it a lemon and roasted butternut squash risotto, because it is lemon season, and there is still plenty of butternut squash around. You might even have some leftover roasted turkey that you can throw in there at the end.
However, the idea here is to have this as a meatless Monday dinner, so keep it that way if you can. I’ll be totally honest, I added roasted chicken at the end for Batman and doubled up on the caramelized butternut squash for myself. Love is compromise you know, I do my best to become 100% vegetarian but I swore I would not preach to my man about it and I won’t preach to all of you my wonderful readers. I love you all to pieces, and for you I will continue sizzling those steaks. Woohoo !
For my fellow vegans, just replace the butter with olive oil and ignore that whole talk about chicken and sizzling steaks.
Ok, back to this roasted butternut squash risotto over here. You are going to love it, I promise ! Make sure your butternut squash is nice and caramelized, and stir that rice a few times with all the love you have in your heart, because If you want a creamy smooth risotto you gotta give it some love. Sprinkle it with toasted pine nuts, all over the top, don’t be stingy.
I was going to do just that, and then I realized someone jacked my pine nuts from the freezer, again ! I don’t want to name any names, but I assure you there is an active pine nut investigation in progress at this time. That’s it, pretty simple, I hope it all makes sense, this roasted butternut squash risotto with hints of fresh lemon has been executed ! Mangia !
- 3 tbsp butter organic
- 1 medium size butternut squash
- 1 organic lemon zested and juiced
- 1 c baby arugula organic
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 5-6 c vegetable stock hot and low sodium
- 1 1/2 c carnarolli risotto rice
- 1/2 yellow onion minced
- 1/4 c parmigiano reggiano cheese grated
- 1/3 c pine nuts toasted, optional
- Preheat your oven to 450”F. Peel the butternut squash, discard the seeds and cut the flesh into 1 inch cubes. Toss the butternut squash cubes with 1 tsp of olive oil, a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Gently flip them over and roast an additional 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
- Meanwhile in a large skillet heat up 2 tbsp of the butter and saute the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent. Stir in the risotto rice to coat in the fat and start adding the hot stock, a ladle at a time, just enough to cover the grains of rice. Keep the rice cooking at a gentle simmer while adding the hot stock and stirring often. Repeat until the rice is cooked though,( about the 25-30 minutes) but still al dente.
- Take 3/4 c of the roasted butternut squash cubes and roughly mash them with a fork. Add them to the pan with the risotto, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, half of the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of cold butter. Stir well until the butter has melted and the squash is incorporated. Adjust seasonings to your taste with sea salt and more lemon juice. Stir in the arugula (reserving a few leaves for garnish ) and cover with a lid. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving with the remaining butternut squash on top and garnished with a few arugula leaves. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.
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I love risotto, and I have already one lemon risotto recipe in my personal booklet, your recipe will join it, it just sounds so delicious. Thanks for sharing.