Butternut squash risotto

A roasted butternut squash is one of the surest signs that fall has arrived in my kitchen. After a stretch of rainy Wisconsin days, I’ve been craving the sort of warm comfort food that makes you happy to stay inside. Enter risotto.

I officially learned to make risotto 15 years ago during a cooking class in Venice. A couple lessons stuck with me. One was to stir the risotto only clockwise. When I asked why, I didn’t get much of an explanation—just an emphatic reiteration of the rule. I recall it being said with such vigor that I promised never stir risotto counterclockwise again. All these years later, I still stir clockwise.

The other thing I took away was what good risotto should feel like. “Toothsome” is what I’m after: creamy rice that’s tender but retains a little resistance when you bite into it.

This version gets its golden color and creamy texture from roasted butternut squash stirred directly into the rice. There’s parmesan, butter, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. It’s simple and exactly the sort of thing I want to eat this time of the year.

Roasting squash

There are a couple of ways to roast butternut squash. You can peel it, cut it into cubes, and roast the pieces—which is great when you want them browned and intact. But if the squash is ultimately going to be mashed into something like risotto or soup, I find it much easier to skip the peeling and chopping.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Brush the cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the halves cut-side down in a baking dish and roast at 350°F for about an hour, or until completely soft when pierced. Larger squash may take longer.

Let the squash cool enough to handle, then scoop the flesh out of the skin. No peeling required.

For this risotto, my squash was on the smaller side and yielded about 3 cups of roasted flesh. A larger squash works just as well; you’ll simply end up with more squash in the mix. I’m perfectly happy with that.

Butternut squash risotto

Serves 6–8

1 butternut squash
olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 c chicken stock (use mushroom or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)
2 c water
1 yellow onion, diced
2 c arborio rice
¾ c dry white wine
2–3 Tbsp butter
1 c finely grated parmesan
freshly grated nutmeg, optional

Roast the squash as described above. Let cool, scoop the flesh from the skin, mash, and set aside.

Combine the stock and water in a saucepan and keep hot over medium-low heat.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, 4–5 minutes.

Add the arborio rice and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes to toast. Add the white wine and cook, stirring, until mostly absorbed. Add the hot stock, one ladleful at a time (about 1/3 c), stirring constantly—clockwise, if you want to follow my Italian cooking instructor’s rule. When the liquid is mostly absorbed, add another ladleful. Continue in this manner until the rice is nearly tender.

Stir in the roasted squash, adding a little more stock as needed to keep the risotto loose and creamy. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding stock until the rice is toothsome—tender but with a little resistance when you bite into it.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Add a few passes of freshly grated nutmeg, if using. Taste and adjust with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm.