Baked Butternut Squash Risotto
with chard / pecans
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
- 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
- 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
Nutrition Facts
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!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
55 reviews
We love this risotto! 4 cups broth was too liquidy for us, so probably try 3 cups next time. I used spinach instead of chard.
0 HelpfulEasy and great for a cold night. Used spinach as that's what we had. Paired with a simple pork tenderloin and saved the extra risotto for another night. So tasty!
0 HelpfulEasy, comforting, and decadent. I used low-sodium chicken broth so I had to really increase the amount of salt. I also used at least a teaspoon of the Italian Seasoning. Pre-cut squash would really make this fast. Husband suggested making this dish for Thanksgiving!
0 HelpfulDelicious, but I will definitely be getting the pre-cubed squash in the future! Modified to make the risotto on the stovetop, since we do not have a dutch oven.
0 Helpful