Butternut Squash Barley Risotto with Asparagus

Heat a large saute pan on low, film with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add onions and slowly saute, stirring often, until lightly and uniformly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and stir for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic burn. Add the water, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the caramelization into the liquid. Add the dried mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and thyme. Keep over very low heat.

Add 3/4 cup of barley to a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven type of pan. Heat on medium to medium high and stir often until barley is slightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of barley and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and stir to coat. Add the white wine (if using) and stir until liquid is mostly absorbed.

Begin adding heated broth mixture to the barley, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring often. Keep adding more as liquid is absorbed and gets thicker. Don’t worry about the mushrooms and onions, just add them along with the broth. Stir and add liquid, stir and add liquid. When you have only about 1 cup of broth left, add the butternut squash to the mixture in heaping spoonfuls, continuing to stir. Add the rest of the broth, taste and adjust seasoning. The whole process will take about 30 minutes. The barley will be chewy. You can cook it longer if you like it softer. If you find that you need more liquid to cook the barley or you want your risotto more liquid, add plain hot water 1/4 cup at a time until it is the consistency you prefer.

During the cooking time, steam or boil the asparagus and shock in cold water. You want the asparagus to retain a slight crunch and be bright green. Stir the asparagus into the finished risotto until warmed through. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, topped with grated cheese and crusty bread on the side.