Baked Butternut Squash and Bacon Risotto
An easy, oven-baked risotto loaded with butternut squash, herbs, and crispy pancetta.
Equipment
- pan
- Oven-safe skillet
- Sharp knife
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 1½ cups arborio rice this cannot be substituted for other rice — about 285g
- 4 oz diced pancetta or bacon of choice — about 115g
- 5 cups chicken broth about 1.2 liters
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 butternut squash peeled, seeds removed, and diced (you need around 4 cups in total) — about 600g
- ½ cup dry white wine — about 120ml
- ½ cup grated parmesan plus additional for serving — about 45g
- 1 tbsp fresh sage leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF / 200ºC degrees.
- Place an ovenproof skillet over a medium heat (you need one with a lid) and cook the diced pancetta until crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove from the skillet and drain on kitchen paper.
- Add the butter to the remaining pancetta fat in the skillet and once melted add in the onion and cook until just starting to soften which will take around four minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add in the chopped sage and thyme before adding in the rice. Cook for a minute or two until the rice is beginning to turn translucent and is well coated in the melted butter.
- Add in the squash, wine and chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil then put the lid on and bake in the oven for around 50-60 minutes.
- It is ready when the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Remove the lid and add in the lemon juice and parmesan and stir until creamy.
- Serve in bowls sprinkled with the pancetta and a little more parmesan.
