Roasted Squash Risotto

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you have it. I love using Reynolds parchment paper as it makes for a lot less cleanup when I am finished baking anything.

Using a large, sharp knife, lay the squash on its side, and carefully remove a sliver from the top and bottom of the squash. This allows a sturdier base when slicing in half.

Next, stand the squash upright. Place your knife in the middle of the squash and move it down the squash, slicing it in half. Now the seeds are exposed. Remove them. Using a fork, poke the outside skin in a couple of areas.

With flesh side up, drizzle the one tablespoon of olive oil over the squash, and season with a bit of salt.

Place the squash, flesh side down on the prepared pan. Put the pan in the preheated oven and cook for about 30 minutes, or until fork tender.

Once fully cooked, remove squash from the oven, and let cool.

Take one half of the squash and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Add the flesh to a food processor. Discard the skin. Reserve the other half for another meal. Pulse the squash until you have a nice puree. Set aside.

Now let’s get started on the risotto.

A couple of important things here. Make sure your stock is warm. So put it in a saucepan, bring it to a simmer and keep it on a simmer. And more importantly get ready for a workout. This is a stirring challenge but I am confident you will do just fine.

To a medium sized pot, add the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil, and cook on a medium heat. Once melted, toss in the onion and garlic, and cook for a few minutes, stirring along the way.

Once the onion and garlic are translucent add in the rice and continue to stir for a couple of minutes. This will allow the rice to get coated in the butter and oil and begin to blossom.

Next, add in the wine. Cook the rice until the wine is fully absorbed. Keep stirring!

Next, add in a ladle full of the warm stock. Raise the heat to a medium high heat, and continue stirring until the stock is fully absorbed. Once the rice is almost dry, add another ladle of stock. Add in the squash puree (roughly a cup of it). Keep stirring!

Now what you will begin to notice is that the risotto will begin to blossom and turn into a creamy consistency. This gets exciting. You are almost there.

Add a bit more stock, and season with a dash of salt. Your overall cooking time is going to be around 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is al dente.

Your goal here is to not end up with mushy rice, rather rice that is creamy yet still has a bite to it. Al dente.

When you have reached the al dente part, add in the Parmesan cheese, give another good stir, and remove from the heat.

Plate and serve immediately.

The result is a creamy risotto that is just perfectly balanced with the squash. That white wine adds a great perfume to the dish. That along with the garlic and onions … Wow. You can tell I am excited just by writing about it. Again, sexy. It’s a sexy dish, and one that has comfort written all over it. Give this one a shot. It’s a real winner, plus you get a workout in! Hope you enjoy.