This seasonal fall rice dish featuring roasted butternut squash makes a satisfying side dish for roasted turkey, roast beef or ham, but it's hearty enough to be a main dish, too. You can make it a meatless dish by leaving out the pancetta and using vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth.
Love this dish, but made several recipe modifications: I also roasted the squash longer (30 minutes total - tossed after 20 minutes);. I used peppered bacon and eliminated the extra salt and pepper; substituted pine nuts for the walnuts; rather than adding the butter and brown sugar to the nuts, I simply roasted them for 5 minutes (tossed after 2) and sprinkled them with cinnamon after they had slightly cooled. I will definitely make this again - even my picky husband said it was fantastic!
Left out pancetta for a side dish- still great but the pancetta would add flavor. Don't leave it out unless you're vegetarian!
it came out really nice, thanks for the recipe, uploaded my dish image too along with recipe images
This is a great recipe! I was hesitant to make it because of the time it takes but it was actually pretty easy. It comes out creamy and flavorful and I didn't miss the large amount of cheese I have used in risotto in the past. I made it with tilapia but I think I would make it with another type of fish in the future, something lemony would be good.
I've never had risotto before, but was excited to try a new dish. The dish was bland and mushy. Not sure if that is how risotto is supposed to be. All I really tasted were the walnuts. Thumbs down on this one..
For those who really like butternut squash in dishes other than pies, I think they will probably like this recipe. To us, the rice was very good, but the squash just tasted out of place with the rest of the dish.
I was so excited to try this recipe with my surplus of butternut squash. I was pleasantly surprised when my husband and kids (all non veggie lovers) raved about it. I followed the recipe exactly but also had a red wine reduction as an additional topping.
Really delicious. Worth the time it took. The butternut squash with the garlic would be great just as a plain side dish. Next time I will use less thyme.
Really good--I used bacon instead of panchetta and also served grilled chicken with it. Added some salt and more sugar to the nuts also. Used brown rice instead of araborio and it did take a lot longer to cook but worth it,
I've made this twice now. The first time my husband and I gave it an "A". I made it last night and burned the pancetta so when I scraped the bottom of the pan it was a little black. The risotto came out darker. But surprise-the risotto was STILL great, I had just added a smokey flavor! So if you accidentally leave the recipe alone for a minute too long, don't despair! Delicious and will make again and again!
I made this last night and it was very good! The walnuts added a nice crunch to the soft texture of the risotto and squash. they werent as sweet as I thought they would be but the toasted flavor really popped out. Though it takes a little more time than the usual mushroom risotto I make it will definitely be put into the rotation! Thumbs up from me!
Delicious! It takes a while, but you can save time by cooking the nuts and squash ahead, or dicing ahead and then cooking them while you cook the rice. The finished product is differen than the traditional risotto but doesn't take a lot of skill, so it's sure to impress!
This recipe is absolutely outstanding! This is my all-time favorite risotto recipe and has such an awesome complex mix of flavors. Mmm...I don't eat meat, so leave out the prosciutto and it is still outstanding. Make it, you won't be disappointed!
Fantastic. I omitted the pancetta, used veggie broth, and served the cheese on the side for vegetarian, gluten free, dairy-free guest, and it was a hit. I used lemon oil with thyme, and it was perfect. I also roasted the squash much longer than the recipe called for.
absolutely amazing!! a bit time consuming but totally worth it. I used regular white wine because i didn't have chardonnay and it turned out great anyway. the walnuts really add a nice touch.. perfect for fall or winter, but made it in the summer and it was perfect anyway.
This was my first risotto and it was spectacular! I roasted the butternut squash until it was browned as well but made no other changes, cooking times or ingredients. I will be making this again soon as it is well worth the work.
This would be a 5 star recipe with some small tweaks. I made it as written, using thyme + lemon zest as suggested. Next time I would definitely leave out the lemon, which was too overwhelming. In addition, I would double the pancetta and use half the thyme. All I tasted was lemon and thyme, instead of pamcetta and squash. Definitely has potential though!
This tasted okay, but it was a lot of work. I won't be making this again.
Ah, Fall! Don't you LOVE it. And this dish is one of the reasons why! It was so totally worth peeling and cubing that squash; it became one of my top five favorites at first bite. I made it per the recipe with what I had on hand. The only change was using bacon instead of pancetta. Wonderful!!!
This was just stupendous! I served it as a main dish with a pear/green salad & green beans. Followed the recipe exactly except for roasting the squash about 30 minutes, stirring after 20 to get a nice brown on them. I will be making this often during the winter with my surplus of butternut squash.
This dish was very, very good. The sweetness of the squash and sugared walnuts stand out nicely against the savory. Next time, I think I'll go with a little less garlic. I understand other reviewers' dilemma about having to choose either roasting the squash more fully for greater flavor or roasting it for less time so it will hold its shape. This time I roasted it as directed; next time I'll let it go longer and not be bothered if it gets a bit mushy!
This is so good. The walnuts are simply amazing. Followed the recipe pretty much exactly but left out the pancetta and used veggie broth to make it vegetarian. Delicious!!!!!!!!!
I baked the squash a bit longer to get a nice, roasted appearance and flavor. Rather than buy extra ingredients, I substituted diced prosciutto for the pancetta, water for the wine, rubbed sage (to taste) for the thyme & lemon, and goat cheese for the Parm-Reggiano. This is a delicious and filling dish that smells and tastes of autumn.
This was delicious, but I really felt it would be a lot better if the squash was roasted until nice crispy brown edge formed. When it's cooked until 'just soft' as the recipe indicates, I felt like it was too much of the same texture. Plus, I love the nice flavor of a fully roasted butternut squash. It was still really yummy, though.
I would give this recipe 4.5 stars. It was really yummy and a great fall recipe. I reviewed it in detail here: misschefy.wordpress.com
Not the kind of recipe you can throw together in 30 minutes but WELL WORTH your time. The tastes will get you excited about Fall!!! Remember: Don't overcook the squash; it needs to maintain it's shape when served.
Fantastic. Made exactly as is.