Baked Butternut Squash Risotto
with chard / pecans

Name: Baked Butternut Squash Risotto
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 Onions medium, diced; 3 cups Butternut squash cubes (look for pre-cubed in the produce and freezer section); 3 oz Cheese, parmesan, grated; 3 leaves Chard, any type, chopped, leaves and stems separate; 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning; 1 cup Rice, Arborio; 1/2 cup Wine, white (sub stock); 4 cups Stock, any type; 2 Tbsp Butter; 1 Egg whites, beaten; for cooking Foil; 1/2 cup Pecan halves; 2 tsp Sugar, light brown; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (opt)

Active: 35 min Total: 55 min

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

Baking risotto (rather than cooking it on the stovetop) turns a time-consuming meal into a weeknight-friendly one without sacrificing flavor or texture. This version made with butternut squash was first introduced to our community in January 2016 and received high marks, especially for the topping of roasted spiced pecans that add crunch.

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto:

Onions medium - 1 , diced
Butternut squash cubes - 3 cups (look for pre-cubed in the produce and freezer section)
Cheese, parmesan - 3 oz , grated
Chard, any type - 3 leaves , chopped, leaves and stems separate
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1/4 tsp
Rice, Arborio - 1 cup
Wine, white - 1/2 cup (sub stock)
Stock, any type - 4 cups
Butter - 2 Tbsp

Spiced Pecans:

Egg whites - 1 , beaten
Foil - for cooking
Pecan halves - 1/2 cup
Sugar, light brown - 2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/2 tsp

Prep

Onions / Squash (if not using pre-cubed) - Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Cheese / Chard - Prep as directed. Store cheese, chard stems and chard leaves in separate containers. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
Egg whites - Beat with a fork until frothy.

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Make

Heat oven to 300F / 149C degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine pecans with egg whites. Add sugar, cinnamon, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) and mix well. Spread pecans on prepared sheet pan. Bake, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, until golden and crisp, ~20 minutes.
While pecans roast, heat a Dutch oven with a lid over medium heat. Add cooking oil and then onions and chard stems to heated oil. Saute until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add Italian seasonings and rice and saute until rice is shiny, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and simmer until some of the wine is absorbed, ~2 minutes. Add stock, squash cubes and chard leaves. Season with some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Give the risotto a stir and cover with the lid.
Transfer the covered risotto to the oven and increase the heat to 425F / 218C degrees (make sure the pecans are out of the oven before you increase the heat). Bake risotto until all of the liquid is absorbed, ~25 minutes. Stir butter into risotto. Taste and add additional seasonings, if needed.
Serve risotto with parmesan and spiced pecans on top. Enjoy!

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