Acorn Squash Risotto with Fresh Sage

Risotto is one of Brittany's favorite foods, so I was inspired to make it yesterday. I got some fresh sage from the farm, so I figured a squash dish would be even more perfect. Sundays are a great day to spend some time making this delicious dish since it does require a good amount of time.

Roasting the squash: Cut the squash in half and scoop out all the seeds. Slice into 1/2 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking pan with the skin on. Roast the squash at 350 degrees until the squash is tender (you can test it by seeing if a fork goes through the sqush easily) which takes about 20 minutes. Let cool, then peel or cut the skin off. It's much easier after the squash has roasted. Then slice the squash into bite sized chun

Making the risotto:

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
2 cups of risotto rice (arborio rice, specifically)
6 cups of vegetable stock (this is just an estimate)
1/2 cup white wine (I just used a splash of white wine vinegar)
1 small bunch of sage, sliced
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
1 bunch of chopped parsley for garnish

Boil the vegetable broth, then turn the heat down to low just so it simmers. Saute the onion until transluscent in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute. Add the rice and saute for about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and stir until the rice absorbs the liquid. Then continue slowly adding 1/2 cup amounts of broth until the rice is tender but still has some firmness to it. Make sure to keep stirring! It is a slow process and it makes your arm hurt but it is absolutely worth all the work! Finally add the white wine and continue stirring until the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat and add the cheese and stir into the rice. It gets nice and melty. Then add the sage and acorn squash. Season with salt and pepper.
Most restaurants add cream at the end, but this dish has enough flavor as is. I like to serve risotto over salad greens with an extra sprinkle of cheese and some chopped parsley. I did just that with a spicy green salad from Who Cooks for You Farm! Delicious.