Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Fried Sage

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking pan. Fold the garlic cloves in aluminium paper and place on the baking pan as well. Drizzle olive oil on the butternut squash and garlic cloves (3tbsp). Add a pinch of cinnamon on the squash and season well. Cook for 25-30 minutes, turning half way through.
• Fry the sage leaves. In a pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sage leaves and cook for 15 seconds. Remove and place on a paper towel to remove any excess of oil.
• Prepare the risotto. In a medium pot, heat the vegetable stock. In a big casserole, sauté olive oil with the shallots for 5-7 minutes, until tender. Season well. Add rice and mix well. Cook for another minute.
• Deglaze with white wine and make sure the wine is completely reduced.
• On medium heat, add broth to the rice: 1 cup at a time, stirring well and making sure there’s no broth left before adding another cup of broth. Repeat 4-5 times until there’s no broth left. It’ll take about 20 minutes. If the rice is not al dente yet, add more water.
• Prepare the butternut squash puree. Add ⅔ of the cooked butternut cubes and the roasted garlic cloves to a food processor with ¼ cup of vegetable stock. Blend to get a smooth texture. Add more broth if needed.
• Add butternut squash puree to the cooked risotto and mix well. Remove risotto from the heat and add parmesan cheese and butter. Mix and season well.
• Serve the risotto on a plate or bowl, garnish with remaining butternut squash cubes, sage leaves and more parmesan cheese.