Butternut Squash Risotto

Funny thing is that I already have posted this recipe, but wanted to repost with better pictures etc (which I'm still not happy with the outcome of them), and when I went back to look at the original post I noticed I posted it a couple days from today- so I guess I must have a craving for fall recipes right around the beginning of October.

Worked out perfect because it is all rainy up here in NY this week- and the rain doesn't seem like it's letting up any time soon. So this is a perfect opportunity (rain or shine) to make this SUPER DELICIOUS recipe. Seriously it is hard for me to contain myself while eating this. 

I wanted to make it with short grain brown rice, buttttttt time constraints made me use long grain white rice.  Oh well.

This recipe will be incorporating my Classic Risotto recipe and making it into a fall favorite of mine, so if you want to read up more about risotto- go check it out.

Ingredients

• A medium sized butternut squash, peeled and diced into bite size pieces (after diced it will look like about 3 cups of diced small pieces-after roasting it will shrink to about 2-2 1/2 cups worth)
• Plus all the regular ingredients for classic risotto:
• 1 1/4 cup of rice (shorter the grain the better-but I used long grain white rice this time) 
• about 5-6 cups of chicken stock (you might not use it all- it varies each time)
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ½ cup of Parmesan cheese
• Oil or butter (2 tbsp)
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. For the squash: preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Dice up the squash into bite sized pieces and scoop out the seeds.  Reserve for later.  Toss the squash with salt, pepper and oil and roast on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes until soft (will vary on how small you cut the squash pieces.  I just let it roast until I'm ready to stir into the risotto at the very end). 
2. In a sauce pan, add the stock (or I use water and bouillon cubes sometimes) and heat until a simmer, then reduce to not even a simmer.  The point is, we are just keeping the stock warm.
3. In a large shallow pot or I use a large high sided skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil or butter on medium then add the onion.  Saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the other tbsp of oil and then add the rice.  Toast the rice for about 5 minutes, make sure it doesn't not burn.  Lower the heat if necessary.
5. Add the white wine and deglaze (scraping all the bits off the bottom of the pan).  When the wine is almost all absorbed add a ladleful of the warmed chicken stock.  Stir until the liquid is absorbed.  (Technically I think you have to stir the whole time, but I don't.  You just want to stir enough throughout the whole process to break up the starches in the rice to make the end texture creamy).
6. Repeat the ladleful of chicken stock and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Repeat this until all the chicken stock is gone or the rice is done.  I taste the rice towards the end to see if it's cooked through.  When it was all done, I had about 1/2 cup of chicken stock left that I didn't wind up using.
7. When the rice is done add the cheese and mix until well incorporated.
8. Gently stir in your roasted butternut squash.
9. Serve and top with more cheese and sprinkle on some roasted seeds!*

*Seeds: After your scoop them out add them to a bowl of water.  Using your fingers try and clean the seeds from any flesh.  Let sit so all the seeds float to the top.  Gently scoop all the seeds from the top of the water and let dry briefly on a paper towel (its ok if they are still a bit wet- helps spices stick).  Put them on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Put in the oven to roast with the squash for about 7-10 minutes. It will depend on the size of the seeds- if you hear them start popping- they are done.

Butternut Squash

After roasting