Peel and dice the butternut squash into ¼ inch (0.6 cm) dice. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Set aside.Heat broth in a large saucepan until almost boiling temperature. Keep hot throughout the recipe.
TOAST THE RICE
To a large dutch oven or skillet, add the risotto rice and stir on medium heat for about 1.5 minutes. Transfer the rice into a bowl and set it aside for later.
COOK THE RISOTTO
To the same dutch oven, add the olive oil and chopped onion. Fry gently for 2 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add the diced butternut squash, minced garlic, ¼ cup vegetable broth, salt, and pepper, and sauté on medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the toasted risotto rice and stir on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot and the rice starts to stick, add the white wine.
Stir until the wine has evaporated completely, then add two ladlefuls of vegetablebroth and stir gently till the rice absorbs the broth.Keep adding two ladlefuls of liquid at a time while stirring almost continuously until the rice is cooked al dente (15 to 18 minutes).
ADD BUTTER AND CHEESE
Turn the heat off, let the rice cool down for one minute, then add butter and grated parmesan cheese.
Stir until butter and cheese melt in the rice. If the risotto gets too thick, add a little more vegetable broth.
Serve a ladleful or two of creamy butternut squash risotto per person, positioning it at the center of the plate and letting it spread out on its own.Top with a couple of leaves of sage and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.