Butternut Squash Risotto

Risotto has a way of anchoring a cold evening. There is the diced squash softening in spiced oil, the hiss of sherry hitting a hot pan, and then the long, unhurried rhythm of ladle and stir that asks you to slow down and stay at the stove. It is autumn cooking at its most meditative — a dish that rewards attention with a bowl of something genuinely luxurious.

Toasting the Rice

Before any broth, the dry Arborio goes into the hot pan for a full minute of stirring. Toasting seals the exterior of each grain, which is what lets the rice drink in liquid slowly while holding a firm, distinct bite at the center instead of blowing out into mush. A splash of dry sherry follows to deglaze, cooking off its sharp edge and leaving a nutty depth behind — the foundation everything else builds on.

The Slow Starch Extraction

Keep your broth at a low simmer in a pot alongside — adding cold stock shocks the rice and stalls the cook. Ladle in one cup at a time, stirring gently until each addition is nearly absorbed before the next goes in. That friction is doing real work: it massages the starch out of the grains and suspends the rice in a creamy sauce of its own making. Eighteen to twenty minutes in, the risotto should flow like a slow wave when you tilt the pan, the rice tender but still firm at the core.

Jorj Morgan

Butternut Squash Risotto

A in starch extraction and liquid management. By slowly coaxing the starches from Arborio rice through the gradual introduction of hot chicken broth, this technique yields a naturally creamy, luxurious mixture perfectly anchored by the earthy sweetness of butternut squash and a sharp sherry deglaze.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 servings

Course: Main Course

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

The Aromatic Foundation

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ red onion peeled and finely diced (about ½ cup)
• ½ medium butternut squash peeled and diced into small uniform chunks (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon Tuscan spice blend or a mix of paprika, garlic powder, and cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

The Starch & Broth Build

• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ¼ cup dry sherry
• 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth kept hot on the stove

The Luxurious Finish

• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese finely grated (plus more for serving)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

 

The Aromatic Sweat

1. Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the finely diced red onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Introduce the diced butternut squash to the skillet. Season aggressively with the Tuscan spice blend, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper. Sauté for an additional 3 minutes to begin softening the squash and blooming the spices.

Toasting the Rice & Deglazing

1. Add the dry Arborio rice directly into the hot skillet. Stir constantly for 1 minute to toast the exterior of the grains, which helps them hold their shape (al dente bite) during the slow cook.
2. Pour in the ¼ cup of dry sherry to deglaze the pan. Stir continuously until the sharp alcohol scent burns off and the liquid is completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes.

The Starch Extraction

1. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Ensure your chicken broth is being held at a low simmer in a separate pot nearby (adding cold broth will severely shock the rice and halt the cooking process).
2. Ladle exactly 1 cup of the hot chicken broth into the skillet. Stir gently and continuously until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed.
3. Add the next cup of hot broth and repeat the process. Continue this gradual addition of broth, stirring frequently to massage the starches out of the rice, until all the stock has been absorbed.
4. The risotto is finished when the rice is suspended in a naturally creamy, thick sauce but still retains a firm, distinct bite in the center (do not let it become mushy). This process should take about 18 to 20 minutes.

The Silky Finish

1. Remove the skillet entirely from the heat.
2. Vigorously stir in the heavy cream, unsalted butter, and grated Parmesan cheese until they melt into the starchy liquid, creating an incredibly rich, glossy, unified sauce.
3. Garnish heavily with the fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.