Bacon Butternut Squash Risotto
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Bacon Butternut Squash Risotto
Yield: 6 servings
6 cups vegetable stock or more as needed
½ cup dry white wine
3 tbs. olive oil, divided
12 large fresh sage leaves
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds
2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2 cups ¼-inch-diced butternut squash
1½ cups arborio or other risotto rice
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss squash pieces with 1 tablespoon oil and roast in oven for approximately 10 minutes, or just until tender.
Combine the stock and wine in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. In a Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry, turning once, until they’ve turned dark green in most places, about 1 minute total. Don’t brown. With a fork, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Put the bacon in the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to the plate with the sage.
Add the shallots to the saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Ladle in enough of the hot stock mixture to just cover the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until the stock is mostly absorbed. Add another ladleful of stock and continue cooking, stirring, and adding more ladlefuls of stock as the previous additions are absorbed, until the rice is tender with just a slightly toothsome quality, about 25 minutes. As the risotto cooks, adjust the heat so that it bubbles gently. The stock mixture should remain simmering during the entire process. If you use all the stock and wine before the rice gets tender, use additional stock, but not more wine.
Set aside the nicest looking sage leaves as a garnish (1 leaf per serving). Crumble half of the bacon and the remaining sage leaves into the risotto. Stir in the Parmigiano and butternut squash. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the remaining bacon over each serving and garnish with a sage leaf.
Equipment List:
oven
saucepan
stainless steel grater
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