Butternut squash and Blue cheese Risotto

Butternut squash-blue cheese risotto is a great combination of flavours for this fall. Although blue cheese is a product people are black or white about… whether you love it or you hate it. It’s understandable, since it’s a quite powerful cheese, and not easy to pair. But if you are on the love side of the spectrum, this is the recipe for you.

On the other end, butternut squash or you could also do it with the leftover of pumpkin you just carved for the kids… is a sweet element which needs a good contrasting element to balance it out. Those 2 together are a match made in heaven, one spicy and sharp and the other sweet and smooth, turns into a dynamic dish when put together. A well balanced dish.

Also, another too often forgotten element which is important in this recipe is the : Black pepper. Yes… the black pepper you always see in the end of every recipe and don’t dare to put too much of. Well in this case, don’t be shy and use it generously, it gives this extra spicy touch to the butternut squash which is irresistable. Especially, freshly cracked pepper is a plus. There is a whole world of black pepper out there, which I’m no specialist of, but if you are a black pepper master, don’t be shy to use your sharpest type for this recipe.

So let’s make this seasonal risotto going!

Butternut squash-blue cheese risotto

Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

• 500g of arborio rice, or bomba
• 500g of butternut squash cut into pieces (no skin)
• 100g of blue cheese (your favorite type)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 litre of chicken broth prewarmed
• 100ml of white wine
• 1 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 3 tbsp of olive oil
• optional: thyme
• salt and black pepper

Directions

1. Start by roasting the butternut squash in the oven at 180°C (350F) for 30-35 minutes until golden
2. Blend the butternut squash lightly, or mash it
3. Add the onion to soften in a big pan with some olive oil and salt at medium-high heat for 5 minutes
4. Preheat the broth on the side
5. Add the garlic clove some extra olive oil and the arborio rice to the pan and move until the rice get translucent, about 2 minutes
6. Bring the heat to high heat and add half the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan
7. Then always moving, add the broth one ladle at the time and move constantly the rice (this makes it creamy, as it should be) for about 20 minutes
8. Mid-coccion add the mashed butternut squash and thyme
9. When the rice is almost done, 1 minute before the end, add the rest of the wine, let it get absorbed partly then take of the fire
10. Add the blue cheese (keep some for decoration), and check the seasoning (black pepper)
11. Let cover for 2 minutes to absorb the leftovers of liquid and serve

Top with some extra blue cheese. Enjoy!