It’s that time of year. Squash season. From pumpkins, to acorn squash, to spaghetti squash, to (my personal favorite) butternut squash…grocery stores, local farms, and farmer’s markets (the ones that might still be open) are brimming with various squashes. I had bought one from our local farm and really wanted to do something different with it. Then, my roommate returned home with Arborio rice…and an evening of risotto was now on the menu.
Now, while I do love the thought of making something completely from scratch…know this…butternut squash is a bitch to cut through. I was doing it with a very dull knife (it was all I had), and ended up with blisters at the end of it. Many grocery stores do sell butternut squash already cubed. Follow this recipe and you will be enjoying a creamy, delicious risotto that can either be a side dish, or the main course.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto
Servings: 4-6
Time: Prep 10 minutes; Cook 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons butter/margarine
- 1/2 onion, minced
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 5 cups hot vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Place squash cubes into a steamer basket in a saucepan.
Add water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to steam until the squash is tender (10-15 minutes), then drain, and mash in a bowl with a fork.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onion; cook and stir for about 2 minutes, until the onions begin to soften.
Stir in the rice. Continue to cook and stir until the rice is glossy from the butter and the onion begins to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated.
Stir in the mashed squash and 1/3 of the hot vegetable stock.
Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook and stir until the vegetable stock has been absorbed by the rice, about 5-7 minutes.
Add half of the remaining vegetable stock and continue stirring until it has been absorbed.
Pour the remaining stock into the pan and continue to stir until the risotto is creamy.
Finish by stirring in the Parmesan cheese, and seasoning it to taste with salt and pepper.
~*~*~
Risotto can be tricky and does take a lot of time. But, be patient…taste it throughout…and in the end, you’ll have a creamy risotto packed full of flavor and ready to devour. I know I did. YUM!
The Celiathlete 