Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter

     Two things that are prevalent at the farmer's market right now are butternut squash and apples.  Last evening, one of the first cooler nights here in Bloomington, I was in real need of some hearty comfort food.  Looking at my produce bowl in my kitchen, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

     The idea of roasting the squash with maple syrup comes right from my mother who used maple syrup in everything from baked beans to salad dressing to roasting any assortment of root vegetables and squash.

    This is the perfect meal to make for a casual dinner party where everyone is lingering in the kitchen. Risotto is so easy to make (despite what so many people say), the only trick is to attend to it every two or three minutes.  Plenty of time for a sip of wine and to join in on the conversation.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter
serves: 4  total time: 40 minutes

• 1 1lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 apples, cored and cubed
• Olive oil
• 2 tbs. maple syrup (even though I live in Indiana now, I'm still a huge fan of Vermont maple syrup)
• salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed but still intact
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 hot red chili pepper (or to taste), finely diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 2 quarts vegetable stock 
• 1 cup dry white wine (whatever you are serving your guests or yourself)
• 5 sage leaves
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425

Place the butternut squash and apples on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all evenly.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through the squash.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock in a pot until just simmering. Cover and continue to let it simmer.

Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook for two or three minutes until the garlic is turning brown.  Now remove the garlic and discard. This will give you lovely garlic infused olive oil for cooking the risotto.

Add the onions and peppers to the dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are translucent and softened.  Now add the rice and continue to cook for three or four minutes until the rice is fully coated with the oil and has just started to brown ever so slightly.

Now pour in the white wine and stir constantly for a minute or two, until the wine is almost fully evaporated.  Now is when the real cooking begins!

Pour a ladle of the stock over the rice.  Stir well to make sure that all the rice has lifted off the bottom of the pan.  Now sip a little wine for minute or two. Once the liquid has almost fully evaporated in pan, add another ladle full and repeat. Continue this process (the sipping of wine is fully optional but highly recommended) until you have incorporated all the stock into the risotto.

Taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that the rice is tender but still a little firm in the middle. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.  Now check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. At this point, put the lid on your dutch oven and let the risotto rest for a few minutes for up to 15 minutes  (it will absorb some of the liquid in the pot and firm up just slightly).

Now heat up the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.Chop the sage leaves and add to the butter.  Let this cook for a minute or two but don't let the butter brown too much.

Call the guests to the table.  Ladle out risotto into 4 bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of the sage butter over the top of each bowl and sprinkle with additional cheese if you like. I also like to drizzle just bit of olive oil over the top to create a truly luscious texture. Serve immediately.

You can serve this with a fresh green salad, but the risotto is a wonderful meal all by itself.