Butternut Squash Risotto (with fried sage and toasted walnuts)

serves 4-6 as a main coarse, or 8-10 as a side dish

1 medium butternut squash
small bunch of sage (6 leaves finely chopped, 20 roughly chopped)
s/p
8 cups veggie stock
1 onion, diced
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 425.  Peel the squash and cut it into small cubes, about 1/4 inch.  Place squash on a roasting pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt.  Roast for about 5-10 minutes, or until it turns golden and becomes tender.  Do not overcrowd the pan or else the squash will steam and become mushy.

2)  Put stock in a pot and bring to a simmer.  Once simmering, keep it warm on the stove.

3) Take 6-8 sage leaves and finely chop them.

4)  In a large, dutch oven or heavy sauce pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add in chopped sage and cook for 1 minute.  Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Turn the heat to low, add in rice and season with salt.  Cook for 3 minutes or until rice starts to become translucent as well.  Turn the heat back up to medium and add in the wine.  Once the wine has been absorbed, add enough warm stock to cover the rice.  Stir well and reduce the heat back down to medium-low.

5) Gently simmer the rice, stirring frequently, until stock is absorbed.  Add another ladle full of stock (about 1/2 cup) and stir occasionally until new stock is absorbed.  Repeat this process until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender.  This usually takes about 20-30 minutes.

6)  While the rice is cooking, heat about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small sauce pan and saute about 15-20 roughly chopped sage leaves until crispy.   This takes about a minute.  Remove them to a paper towel.  In the same pan,  toast walnuts for about 2-3 minutes.

7)  When rice is tender, stir in squash and 1 more Tbsp olive oil.  If you are using parmesan cheese, go ahead and stir it in at this point.  Cook until cheese is melted or until squash is heated through.  Season with s/p to taste and garnish with fried sage leaves and toasted walnuts. Serve IMMEDIATELY!