Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Risotto Al Zucca (Squash Risotto)

I made this tonight and it was really good. I added a bit of cayenne pepper and served with green beans tossed in salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and olive oil.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small acorn or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4 inch
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock, hot
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for sprinkling

In a 12 to 14-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and squash cooking until the onions have softened and are translucent but not browned 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until toasted and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the wine to the toasting rice, and then add a 4 to 6-ounce ladle of stock and cook, stirring, until it is absorbed. Continue adding the stock a ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice is tender and creamy and yet still a little al dente, about 15 minutes. Stir in the butter and cheese until well mixed. Portion risotto into 4 warmed serving plates, serving with extra cheese.

1 comment:

Monkey said...

I made this and was completely unimpressed. I think it was the acorn squash I used - it just wasn't a great squash. I might give it another try some day in the distant future, but for now I will stick with my own risotto recipe