Today’s recipe is Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash! When the weather is bright and sunny with a slight chill in the air and you hear faint sound of the jingle bells, you would not like to stay home. With lights everywhere at night, the decorated Christmas trees, the extended store hours announce the holidays are here. I am now in a shopping spree, busy buying gifts for family and friends and for our home. This is the best time for shopping as you have so many choices and deals. We did night long shopping on black Friday; standing in a long queue in a foggy night. It was fun.
Though I am busy in shopping, I am busy at home as well, baking cookies, breads and cakes for the Holidays. Just could not manage to put together everything and blog. So you know the reasons for my hiatus from the blogging world. I have a series of recipes in draft and I will be sharing with you soon, so stay tuned. Here is the recipe of Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash.
Today I would like to share with you an Italian recipe. Risotto is an Italian rice dish cooked in a stock or broth to a creamy consistency mostly by using parmesan cheese, butter and onion. It is prepared with special short grain rice called Arborio. The rice has a chewy and creamy texture and has high starch content. It can be prepared using meat or fish but today’s recipe is a complete vegetarian version. Give this recipe a try and I hope you will like it.
Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash and a hint of Saffron
Recipe serves: 2-4 people
- 1 butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 cup Arborio rice
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-6 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ½ cup white wine (optional)
- Few strands of saffron
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Italian parsley for garnishing
At first preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Next in a baking sheet toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper as per taste. Roast it for 25-30 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile in a big saucepan simmer the vegetable stock. Now in a heavy bottom pan melt the butter and sauté the onions in a low flame for 3-4 minutes. Add the Arborio rice and sauté it well so that the grains of rice get well coated in butter. Now add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the wine is absorbed. Now add 2 ladles of vegetable stock and let it simmer for five to ten minutes. Add the saffron, salt and pepper as per taste and stir. When the stock is absorbed continue to add two ladles of stock at a time and stir frequently. Each time add the stock when the mixture seems to be a little dry and continue to cook until the mixture is creamy and the rice is cooked through.
Switch off the heat, add the roasted butternut squash and grated parmesan cheese. Mix in well. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips:
The rice needs time to cook and adding two ladles of the stock at a time makes it creamier. You may omit the wine and use stock itself but wine gives a flavor to the dish. The consistency of the final dish should be creamy and not too dry. The saffron adds a subtle color and flavor to the dish.
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