Risotto Recipe

Remember I said I was going to make an Ina Garten recipe last Friday? Well, I did and it was so yummy that I wanted to share it. Very colorful and a good 'ole comfort food for a chilly night.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash (2 lbs)
2 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 oz pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the butternut squash, remove seeds, and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups (think I had a little less and it was fine). Place squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 mins, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth/stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on med-low heat for 10 mins (I did this while squash was roasting), until the shallots are translucent, but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of broth
to the rice plus the saffron, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 mins. Continue to add the broth, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes (or more often!). Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more broth. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 mins total. (I cooked 35-38 mins) Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes nad the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve. Serves: 4 to 6.
Enjoy. We sure did!