Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Toasted Pecans

I made this dish just as Ryan and I were starting to feel better and oh man, did it do our bellies good. It’s a deliciously tasty dish that will wrap you in Fall aromatics as you cook.

The original recipe didn’t call for sausage, but since Ryan won’t eat a meal without meat, I chose a sweet sausage to accompany the dish. I think I would have preferred it without the sausage (it was pretty rich with it), but the beauty of risotto is you can add and subtract what you will.

Risotto with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Toasted Pecans
(and Maybe Sausage)
Adapted from Oprah.com.

Ingredients

• 6-8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion , finely chopped
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 2-3 cloves small garlic , finely chopped
• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8-16 large sage leaves , chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
• 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1 pkg sweet sausage

Preparation Instructions

On a side burner, bring the chicken stock to a boil and then reduce the heat. Keep it on low.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high flame, heat the olive oil. Add the onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice; stir until well coated, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and squash and continue to stir another 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium and ladle in a 1/2 cup hot stock. With a wooden spoon, stir until the liquid is absorbed but the rice isn’t sticking to the pan.

Continue adding 1/2 cup stock and stirring until the stock is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. (Note: I think I overcooked the risotto a tad since I was trying to get the squash to cook. So, make sure you cut your squash small enough, or cook it a bit before you add the arborio rice.)

While the risotto cooks, add the sausage to a frying pan with a few tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil and cover, simmering for 6 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess water and fry to a golden brown color. Slice the sausage and put aside.

Remove risotto from heat; add the sage, butter, and salt. Season with pepper. Stir to combine. Place risotto in a serving bowl and top with Gorgonzola, pecans, and sausage. You only need a bit of the Gorgonzola and pecans to dress this dish up to be absolutely mouth-watering. Do you have any good recipes for butternut squash? Enjoy!