Joshua Weissman's Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta Is 'Creamy, Rich and Incredibly Savory'

“Risotto is a great fall dish: warm, creamy, rich and incredibly savory,” says the author of the new 'Texture Over Taste' cookbook

When thinking about autumnal dishes, Joshua Weissman was tempted to turn trendy pumpkin spice lattes into a dinner.

"I wanted to make something fall inspired, then I remembered how much I hated the craze around the pumpkin spice latte. And I thought, 'Would it be crazy to do a pumpkin spice risotto?'" says the author of the new Texture Over Taste cookbook. "While it tantalized me for a whopping 4 seconds, I decided to go the route of something a bit more traditional and do a butternut squash risotto."

“Risotto is a great fall dish: warm, creamy, rich and incredibly savory," says the popular YouTuber, who adds fried sage, pancetta and grated cheese to his version. “Plus if you throw in seasonal ingredients like butternut squash to give it a touch of sweetness, it’s only going to feel that much more cozy.”

While the final result should be decadent, Weissman suggests adjusting the measurements until you get a texture you want. “You may need to use more liquid than called for in the recipe,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to add extra warm broth if the risotto is too thick.”

Related: The Best Cookie Recipes to Sweeten Up Your Holiday Season

Joshua Weissman’s Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta and Crispy Sage

Cooking spray

1 small butternut squash (about 2 lbs.), halved lengthwise and seeds removed

6 cups chicken stock, divided, plus more as needed

4 oz. pancetta, diced

8 sage leaves

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tsp. kosher salt

1½ cups uncooked Arborio rice

2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, and lightly coat with cooking spray. Coat cut sides of squash generously with cooking spray. Place, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake in oven until very soft, 35 to 40 minutes.

2. Remove squash from oven, and scrape out flesh into a blender; add ½ cup of the chicken stock. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening. Process on high until very smooth and velvety, about 1 minute. Add more stock, if needed, to blend.

3. Cook pancetta in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until very crispy and most of fat has rendered, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pancetta; drain on a paper towel. Increase heat to medium; add sage to drippings in same saucepan. Fry, undisturbed, until crispy, 20 to 30 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4. Add onion, garlic and salt to drippings in saucepan; cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. In a separate saucepan over medium low, heat remaining 5½ cups chicken stock.

6. Add rice to saucepan with onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted, about 30 seconds. While constantly stirring, ladle in about ⅓ cup hot stock to rice. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Repeat process of adding stock, ⅓ cup at a time and stirring constantly, until rice is cooked to al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of the squash puree; cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in cold butter until glossy and emulsified.

7. Serve immediately topped with crispy sage, pancetta, grated cheese and pepper.

Serves: 4
Active time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.