Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Serves: Six | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 30 min

Ingredients:

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto:
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
5 cups vegetable stock
3 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine
3/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Garnish:
Fresh Thyme
Blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Preheat oven 400F/200C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Arrange squash on the prepared tray, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast, 20-30 minutes, until soft and brown.

Meanwhile, heat stock in a saucepan over low heat.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium low heat. Add onions, cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, not browned. Add rice, stir to coat the rice with the butter.  Add wine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add 2 ladles of the warmed stock into the rice, stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, about 5-10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time and with each addition cook rice until mixture seems dry, about 5-10 minutes then add more stock, until all stock is used, stirring occasionally, this will take about 30 minutes in total.

Take off the heat, add the roasted butternut squash, parmesan cheese and season to taste.  Mix well and serve with more grated parmesan, fresh thyme and crumbled blue cheese (optional) on top.