Butternut Squash Risotto

In the short amount of time that I've been making risotto, it's quickly become one of my favorite meals to prepare and eat. Risotto is an Italian rice dish where the rice is cooked by gradually stirring in wine and broth until thick and creamy in texture. Arborio rice is needed to make risotto as it will absorb a great deal of liquid and release the large amount of starch it contains. After the general cooking method is completed, you can add different vegetables, meat, or seafood to your Risotto and is often served with parmesan cheese. I'm all about cooking with seasonal ingredients and this time of year the butternut squashes are more than plentiful. Add some roasted butternut squash to some perfectly cooked risotto is a perfect Autumn inspired dinner.

4-5 servings 

1 medium sized Butternut Squash

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

1 clove of garlic (Grated or minced)

Olive Oil

2 large shallots (Diced)

6 tablespoons of Butter (3/4 of a stick)

1 1/2 cups of Arborio Rice

1/2 cup of Dry White Wine (Pino Grigio)

4 cups of Vegetable Stock

2 cups of Chicken Stock (or another 2 cups of Vegetable)

1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and cut off the top and the bottom. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and the rest of the "gunk" that you'll find in the bottom portion of the squash. Dice the butternut squash into evenly sized pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes) and place them onto a baking sheet. Toss the squash together with some olive oil, the grated garlic, and salt and pepper. Place into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set the squash aside for now.

Adding hot stock to the rice is one of the keys to making risotto. At this time before we go any further, pour our stock into a sauce pan and place it over a medium low heat. We don't want it to boil or even simmer, just heat the stock enough so that you can see steam rising. I use mostly vegetable and some chicken stock for this recipe but you can use all chicken or all veggie if you prefer. Just make sure to have about 6 cups total either way.

Meanwhile, take two large shallots and finely mince them. In a large pot or a dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the shallots are translucent and tender. Once the shallots are cooked, add the rice and stir together to coat the rice in the butter. Add the white wine and cook for 2-4 minutes until the rice begins to absorb some of the liquid and the alcohol cooks off.

Add two ladles of the hot stock and a dash of salt and pepper and stir into the rice. Cook for about 5-10 minutes stirring very frequently. As the rice simmers, it will begin to absorb the liquid and slowly begin to release the starch. When most of the stock has been soaked up, add another two ladles of the stock.

The two pictures below are examples of what the risotto should look like when you're cooking. The first picture is what it will look like when you add more stock to the rice and the later picture is an example of what the risotto will look like when it's time to add more liquid to the pot. Continue this process until the rice is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

Once all of the stock has been stirred in, the rice should be cooked but still slightly al dente. Remove from the heat and add the butternut squash we roasted, the parmesan cheese, and some chopped parsley. Gently stir everything in together and serve the risotto hot with a glass of chilled Pino Grigio. Perfect meal for a chilly night in October and perfect for any movie night!!