Creamy, decadent butternut squash risotto finished with fine sweet Italian gorgonzola cheese (aka: 'Gorgonzola Dolce'). The secret to this perfect risotto is to 'sfumato' the toasted rice with white wine to infuse it with flavor. Don't like gorgonzola? You can also finish it off with butter and/or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Peel and dice the butternut squash. Finely chop the onion.
1 ¼ lb butternut squash, ½ medium onion
Cook Squash and Onions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the onions and sauté them over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until translucent.
3 tbsp olive oil
While the onions are cooking, bring all of the broth to a simmer in a large pot.
6 cups vegetable broth
When the onions are translucent, add all of the butternut squash and 2-3 ladles of hot broth.
Cover and cook the squash for about 20 minutes. Add 1-2 more ladles of broth and keep cooking if the squash is not tender enough to mash after the 20 minutes. In the meantime…
Toast the Rice
Toast the arborio rice in another dry skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Stir rice frequently until it begins to turn golden and smells like toasted rice.
1 ½ cups arborio rice
When the rice is toasted, add the dry white wine. This is called the ‘sfumato.’ Stir until the rice has absorbed the wine.
½ cup dry white wine
Make the Risotto
When the squash is tender, add another ladle of broth and mash it coarsely with a fork.
Add the butternut squash to the toasted rice. Stir and add 2 more ladles of broth.
Cook the rice for 20 minutes over medium heat. Check the risotto frequently during the 20 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. When the broth is almost absorbed, add another ladle of broth and continue to do so for the entire 20 minutes.
The finished risotto should be done but a tiny bit ‘al dente’ (chewy). Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Mantecatura
Turn off the heat. Add the butter and the gorgonzola to the risotto. Stir until the cheese and butter are melted. This is called the ‘mantecatura.’
2 tbsp unsalted butter, ⅓ lb gorgonzola cheese
Video
Notes
Finish with Parmigianio Reggiano instead of gorgonzola.Finish the risotto with 1 cup (80 g) of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese instead of the gorgonzola. Make it lactose-free!Have a lactose intolerance? Finish with vegetable spread and/or Parmigiano Reggiano. Parmigiano is considered naturally lactose-free!