butternut squash risotto

I had some leftover butternut squash from Thanksgiving. With a desire to eat something other than soup and oatmeal, both of which have taken over my diet, I opted for some risotto instead of the default butternut squash soup. Plus, in this cold weather, stirring a delicious rice and cheese mixture while standing over a warm stove was pretty appealing.

Like most risotto dishes, this one is incredibly rich. The sweet butternut squash goes perfectly with savory and cheesy rice. Next time I make this, I think I would add a small squeeze of lemon and half a handful of fresh thyme to cut the richness just a little and give it an additional layer of flavor.



Butternut Squash Risotto

4 cups butternut squash (about 1 small squash), diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 onion, diced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, warmed*
1 cup parmesean cheese, freshly grated if possible
salt
olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350F. While the oven is heating up, toss the squash in olive oil with some salt and spread on a baking pan in one layer. Roast until squash is tender and can be easily pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.

Heat 3 tbs oil in a large skillet or pot before adding chopped onion. Saute until it's tender and translucent. Then, add the rice and stir to coat with oil. Add the wine and saute for another minute. Pour in the warmed broth, one cup or so at a time such that each addition is fully absorbed before adding more, until the rice is cooked through. You should be stirring continuously pretty much the entire time to allow for even cooking.

Once the rice is cooked, stir in 2/3 cup of the grated cheese. At this point, also add the squash and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over each bowl before serving.

Serves 4 main courses.

*I found that the best compromise between the traditional using-another-pot-to-warm-the-broth-and-thus-having-to-wash-another-pot-method and the quick adding-the-broth-straight-from-the-container method is to microwave the broth in a glass measuring cup before adding. This way you don't lose any possible benefit you gained using warmed broth but saves you from washing another pot.