1. Cut butternut squash into thick strips and then into small cubes (approx 1" each). Cubes should be around the same size so they cook evenly. Put them in a large pan and set aside. Note: I bought the already-peeled kind of butternut squash. If you did not, you will need to peel the skin off first.
2. Cut the dark green part of the leek off and discard. We’re only using the white and light green part here. Cut the root part off the end and cut the leek into small rings as seen in the video. Leeks are very dirty so submerge the leek rings in a bowl of water and push them down – removing the dirt and separating the rings. Then drain the water, rinse once more, put in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Chop the sage and thyme into small pieces and set aside. 
4. You’ll need two pans for this. Your butternut squash cubes should be in a large pan. Heat should be medium to start. Add olive oil, salt and pepper.  Stir the squash around the pan to make sure it’s coated in the olive oil. Put a lid on it (preferably one with no vent holes), turn the heat to low-medium. Let it steam for 20-30 minutes until it’s very soft. Stir occasionally. Check their softness with a fork at the 20 minute mark. 
5. In your other smaller pan, heat the butter and olive oil, then add the leeks, salt and pepper. Give it a stir around. Should be low to medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes or so until leeks shrink in size and are lightly browned. After the leeks are browned, add the fresh sage and thyme at the end. Stir together until fragrant – about a minute or two. It's done now.
6. Once your butternut squash is finished cooking, add the leeks and herbs and give it a stir around. The butternut squash should be fall-apart tender which will be perfect for when we mix it together with the Arborio rice. Set this aside while you cook the rice. See note# 5.
7. On low heat, melt two tablespoons of butter in a pot. Add two cups of Arborio rice to the butter. Mix the rice around with the butter until the rice becomes slightly white on the outside and smells toasty and nutty. About 3-4 minutes. 
8. Still on low heat, start adding the vegetable broth 1 cup at a time. Once you add the first cup of broth, you should stir the risotto continuously until the broth is completely absorbed into the rice. I usually add the salt after the first or second cup of broth. Then add the next cup of broth and do the same. Stir the rice until all the broth has absorbed before adding the next cup of broth. Repeat the process for all 5 cups of broth. Cannot stress this enough – do not add all the liquid at once. Risotto is cooked in an open pot, slowly, over about 35-40 minutes. (see notes below and refer to the video which goes through this step by step)

Mixing the cooked risotto:

1. Once risotto is finished cooking, put it in a large bowl. Add the marscapone cheese to risotto and mix together blending the cheese into the risotto. 
2. Grate fresh parmesan cheese onto the risotto – give it a mix. 
3. Add the butternut squash, leeks, sage, thyme mixture to the risotto bowl and mix thoroughly. I like to mash down most of the chunks of squash and leave some for texture. This is a personal choice. If you want a chunkier risotto – go for it! 
4. Once risotto is mixed – serve immediately. I paired mine with Italian sausage and steamed asparagus.