Oven Butternut Squash Risotto
Jacky
Photo by James Ransom
- Serves
- 4
Risotto -- mmm. That word conjures so many thoughts. I instantly think of all the amazing risottos I’ve had at restaurants.
That’s right -- at restaurants. Because until now, I’ve always watched chefs make risotto and thought: fussy, time consuming, so easy to mess up.
And then. A friend told me a secret: Instead of standing over the stove and slowly adding liquid, everything can go in a pot and into the oven! I've tried this with mushrooms and with some other vegetable variations, but the butternut squash is definitely our favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 cup vegetable broth
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan cheese, for garnish
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This dish has a quick and simple prep, then goes into the oven and takes care of itself. The end result is a thick risotto full of butternut squash color and flavor. I put in some pieces that were larger than the 1-inch chunks called for; these pieces didn’t blend in fully after cooking, which created a variety of textures that I liked. I definitely want to try this recipe with other vegetables, like mushroom, to take advantage of this flavorful and easy risotto.
Directions
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a fairly large, oven-safe pot, drizzle olive oil and add the shallots and garlic.
- Step 2
When the shallot has softened, add the rice, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes and stirring constantly.
- Step 3
When the rice is toasted, add in about 1/2 cup of white wine. Season the rice with salt and pepper and let cook until the wine is reduced.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, peel and dice your butternut squash. Then dump the squash and the vegetable stock into the pot and give it a good stir.
- Step 5
Bake, covered, for about 30 to 40 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- Step 6
Dish out in big bowls, topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.