Butternut Squash Risotto

So, if you've never made or eaten risotto it is by far the best thing in the culinary world. It's rich and creamy and cheesy. I mean, really...what more could you ask for? I really like experimenting with different flavors in risotto. Since, it's a rice dish, you can put almost anything in it. There are 4 key ingredients that you need: arborio rice, white wine, chicken stock and parmesan cheese. If you only had these 4 ingredients, it would still taste pretty darn good, but throw in a little onion and peas and you have yourself a basic risotto. I have to warn you though, risotto can be a little fussy. It's not like regular rice where you put it in a pot and forget about it for 20 minutes. You have to babysit risotto. Constant stirring and attention must be focused on it, but in the end, it is SO worth it.

This recipe is Matt's favorite in my risotto repertoire. This is how I did it....

-8 oz of arborio rice (it MUST be arborio rice. Arborio rice is specific to risotto dishes.)
-1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
-1 large shallot, finely diced (found near the onions. It's small and purple with an oval shape to it. You can also use a sweet white onion.)
-1/4 to 1/3 cup of dry white wine (just eyeball it. Normally, I would say that wine is optional, but in risotto it's really not. It gives the risotto a depth of flavor and one of the specific tastes that makes it risotto.)
-2 15 oz cans of chicken stock (I use reduced sodium so that I can control the salt content.)
-a generous handful of shredded or grated Parmesan cheese (by now, you know which one I mean! :) )
-a handful of flat leaf (or Italian) parsley, chopped
-a splash of half-n-half or heavy cream
-1 TBS of butter
-Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375. Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash in half between the long section and the round section. Cut off each of the ends as well. Remove the seeds from the round section. Peel the squash using a sharp knife, following the contours of the squash. Once peeled, cut the squash into bite sized cubes. (At this point, you can decide how much squash you would like in your risotto. I like to get a big squash and use it 2 different times in 2 different recipes, but if you're just making this, you can get a smaller squash.) Place the squash on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes are until softened and lightly browned. While the squash is roasting, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add the arborio rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let the wine cook out. Begin adding about 1/2 cup of chicken stock at a time and stir. Add more when it looks like the rice has absorbed the stock. Keep repeating this step until all of the stock is used or until the rice is cooked. If you run of stock, but feel that the rice isn't cooked all of the way yet, you can use warm water. (This is the part where you have to get a feel for the rice. I keep tasting mine to make sure that the rice is cooked all of the way. You may think that it is done and go to serve it, only to find out that there are crunchy bits of rice throughout the dish. So, just keep stirring and tasting until you are confident that all of the rice is cooked.) Turn the heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese, then add the butternut squash and parsley. Right before serving, stir in the half-n-half or heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

This makes about 4 servings. (Or 2 if you're Matt and I!! ha, ha!) It goes great with chicken, fish or pork and reheats really well the next day. Risotto can be kind of difficult. The first couple of times I made it, it didn't come out right, but don't give up! Keep trying and once you master it, you will make great risotto every time! :)