Baby Friendly Butternut Squash Risotto Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium heavy-bottom saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add squash; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until edges soften, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add rice; stir to coat. Add wine; cook until almost all liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; add 1/2 cup hot broth mixture. Cook, stirring, until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until liquid is absorbed before adding more, 35 to 40 minutes total.
• Stir in Parmesan, sage, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Serve immediately, garnished with more Parmesan and sage, if desired.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place squash cubes into a steamer basket in a saucepan. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to steam until the squash is tender (10 to 15 minutes), then drain, and mash in a bowl with a fork.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 2 minutes until the onion begins to soften, then stir in the rice. Continue cooking and stirring until the rice is glossy from the butter, and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
• Pour in the white wine; cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot chicken stock; reduce heat to medium. Cook and stir until the chicken stock has been absorbed by the rice, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the remaining chicken stock, and continue stirring until it has been absorbed. Finally, pour in the remaining stock, and continue stirring until the risotto is creamy. Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• To prepare: Place your oven racks in the lower third and upper third positions, then preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for the butternut squash. Reserve 1 cup broth from your container and set it aside for when the risotto is out of the oven.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium to large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and 1 cup water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in the rice. Cover the pot and bake on the lower rack until rice is tender and cooked through, about 65 to 70 minutes. It will seem pretty dry when you take off the lid, but don't worry!
• Immediately afterward, toss the cubed butternut with 2 tablespoons olive oil on your lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and arrange the butternut in a single layer on the pan. Roast on the upper rack until the butternut is fork tender and the edges are deeply caramelized, tossing halfway. This took 55 to 60 minutes for me, but start checking for doneness around 40 minutes.
• In the meantime, fry the sage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sage and toss to coat. Let the sage get darker green and crispy (but not brown) before transferring it to a plate covered with a paper towel. Sprinkle the fried sage lightly with salt and set it aside.
• Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and pour in the remaining cup of broth, the Parmesan, wine and butter. Stir vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, until the rice is thick and creamy. Stir in the salt, a generous amount of pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir in the roasted butternut. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper, as needed. Divide the risotto into bowls and top each with a sprinkle of fried sage.

SHORTCUT BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a sheet pan with foil. Spread squash and onion on the pan, toss with oil, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 25-30 minutes or until very soft. Let cool slightly.
• Transfer the squash and onions to a food processor and puree, adding the broth to make a creamy, yet thick consistency.
• Warm the rice. Stir squash mixture into rice, season to taste with additional salt if needed, and top with Parmesan cheese (if using) to serve.

BABY FRIENDLY BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• Cut the butternut squash into cubes and place in a large pan. Pour in enough stock to cover the cubes (should be roughly a third of the stock) and simmer for 20 minutes or until the cubes are soft and most of the stock has been absorbed.
• When the butternut squash cubes are half way through cooking, dice the onion and place in a large frying pan with the olive oil. Fry gently for 5 minutes until the onions become soft and transparent but not too browned.
• Add the butter, garlic, mixed herbs and nutmeg and stir thoroughly for 2 minutes on a low heat.
• Add the risotto rice to the frying pan and stir thoroughly again for 2 minutes on a low heat to coat the rice.
• Add the butternut squash cubes to the frying pan and stir thoroughly again, then start to add a ladle full of the remaining stock to the rice mixture.
• Stir the mixture as you go, letting the rice absorb most of the stock before you add another ladle full. Depending on how much stock was used for the butternut squash cubes, you may need to add a couple of ladles of hot water to get the right consistency and to make sure that the rice is fully cooked. This should take about 25 minutes on a medium heat. The risotto should be a creamy consistency, similar to thick soup. The rice should be slightly al dente, although you may want to cook it a little more for babies/toddlers so that it is easier to chew.
• Add pepper to taste and a sprinkle of grated cheese to serve (we like cheddar or vegetarian Parmesan). The risotto can also be rolled into small balls which are easier for little fingers to handle. Enjoy!

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH FOR BABY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place butternut squash halves in a roasting pan, cut-sides up. Rub the flesh with olive oil, then sprinkle with thyme.
• Roast in the preheated oven until very soft and lightly browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
• Scoop out the squash flesh and mash in a bowl.