I wonder if I’ll just be posting various butternut squash recipes for the next month or so. It’s seriously my favorite of the common squashes, and there’s no application where they’re unwanted. With the weather turning to evil cold here in upstate New York it’s time to begin making the foods that I love most. Warm inviting casseroles, dishes featuring squash and apples, and of course those big honking roast birds of holiday fame. Crap, I’d better check to see if I can still order a free range bird from D’Artagnan. I’ve procrastinated too long already and am afraid I’ll miss out for the second year in a row.
Oh well, at least I have this delicious butternut squash risotto to get me through the evening. A little sweet, and tasting like a creamier version of mom’s mash, this is the quintessential way to bring that fall feel to the table with flare.
Ingredients
1 cup Arborio rice
½ onion, finely diced
½ cup white wine
Chicken stock, at a simmer
1 large butternut squash
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream
2 oz parmigiano reggiano
1 tbsp butter
S&P to taste
Preheat oven to 375
Cut squash in half, remove seeds, and peel. Cut off the bulbous end and chop that roughly. Cut the rest of the squash into a fine dice, toss in olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place all of the squash on a sheet tray and roast in the oven until just tender, about 15-20 minutes. You may have to leave the larger chunks in longer.
Set aside the diced squash in a bowl. Add the larger chunks to the bowl of a food processor along with the nutmeg, balsamic and honey. Puree on low speed, and then add in the heavy cream. The resulting concoction should almost have the consistency of whipped butter. Actually feel free to use any you may have left over as whipped butter and put it on your morning pancakes…mmmmmm. Set mixture aside.
In a medium sauce pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until just turning translucent (try to avoid getting any color on the onions). Add the rice and stir to coat with oil, cooking and stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. You’re sort of frying the rice and preparing it for the magic that’s about to happen. Add the white wine and cook until absorbed by the rice.
Now comes the absolutely most essential part to ensure a creamy risotto. Slowly begin adding in the hot chicken stock and stir constantly. The most amount of starch is released from the rice during the initial phases of adding liquid, so stir with all your might. I can’t say the exact amount of chicken stock you’ll need, but the rice is ready when you notice it looks creamy and there are still whole rice kernels in there. The rice should not break apart, and when you take a bite it should absolutely not be mushy. You’re looking for creamy, but also a little texture.
When the rice is close to done add in a few heaping spoonfuls of the butternut squash and cream mixture. Once incorporated add in the diced butternut squash and mix thoroughly. Toss in the reggiano and mix. And the last step to cream up that risotto, add in the butter and mix vigorously (I find shaking the pan while doing this really helps). Season the risotto with salt and pepper and serve.
The squash will not quite make the risotto a bright yellow color like you might imagine. But rather than using expensive saffron to bring out the color you can opt to add a dash of turmeric. If you’re looking for that vibrant color, go for it, but it’s not necessary.
