Butternut Squash Risotto with Crispy Mushroms, Scallops, and Basil Oil

You need to make this cozy butternut squash risotto with crispy mushrooms, scallops, and basil oil!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
32 oz box of chicken broth or 4-5 cups broth
1/4 cup white wine
4 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 small butternut squashes, 1 peeled & diced into small cubes and 1 halved with the seeds removed
2 medium shallots, 1 halved and 1 diced
3 cloves garlic
10-15 leaves basil
10 chive springs
1/3 cup olive oil + 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
1/2-1 cup grated parm
4-5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
Salt/pepper to season
1 lb scallops (we ordered from Wulf’s Fish)

Preparation

1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2
Place the 1 halved butternut squash, 1 shallot halved, and 3 garlic cloves smashed with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt & pepper on a baking sheet - bake for around 45 minutes until the squash is fork tender
3
Put the mushrooms on a sheet pan as well and coat in 1 tbsp butter, a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper - bake along side the squash until crispy
4
Optional_: To make basil oil blend basil, chives, and olive oil in a blender then run ot through a cheese cloth or mesh strainer to remove the excess herbs, set aside
5
Heat pan to medium, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter, add the remaining shallot (diced) and the diced butternut squash - cook for about 5 minutes seasoning with salt & pepper
6
Add in arborio rice and toast in the butter and olive oil for around 5 minutes, add white wine and cook off (add more butter if needed)
7
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan on low heat, warm all of the broth - once it is warm you will slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, add this to the rice and cook off
8
Once the butternut squash in the oven has been roasted, let cool then added to a blender with a 1/4 cup of water or broth so it can blend, add to the rice mixture
9
Once the broth has been added the rice should be nicely cooked (be sure to taste for seasonings and add salt & pepper!), remove from heat
10
Finish with 1 tbsp butter, parmesan, and mascarpone cheese - set aside to cool
11
For the scallops (we used Wulf’s Fish), pat dry and then in a lightly oiled stainless steel pan on high heat, sear the scallops - we mainly cook them for 2-3 minutes on one side, then add 1-2 tbsp butter to baste, and flip for 30 seconds then remove from the pan to finish cooking
12
Plate your dish by adding your risotto, crispy mushrooms, scallops, basil oil and finish with chives - if you did not make the basil oil just top with chives and basil!