my Butternut Squash Risotto

I'm very accustomed to my family barring me from the kitchen. They don't let me get within a mile of the stove because, A. they've never seen me cook anything or B. they remember that in high school I couldn't even make a box of mac & cheese without messing it up.

But I came home from Italy with more than a year just watching and tasting Tuscan cooking and now after three months of being a nanny, I had my new-found culinary confidence that finally gave me a way to prove them wrong.



Here is my piaciuto and recently requested recipe for risotto:





Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped.
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tbl spoon of fresh Parsley, finely chopped.
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups boiling water
  
• 1 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
  
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon thyme
  
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmiggiano
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

A. IF you have real butternut squash, roast it and do the following:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

B. IF you have a box of store-bought squash, defrost, set aside until instructed.*

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Meanwhile, begin to boil water in a separate pan. Add the bouillon cube to boiling water. Keep it on a low boil until finished.
   
2. In pan with oil, add diced onion to sautee for 10 minutes, or until brown.
3. Add rice to onions and oil to toast rice for 2-4 minutes, or until slightly toasted brown. Stir constantly.
   
4. Now add all of the squash to rice, oil, onions. Stir constantly for 3 minutes.
   
5. Add spices, add parsley.
6. Using a ladle, transfer boiling hot broth to the rice/squash pan.
   
7. NOTE: do not add broth all at once. Add 1 spoonful, then stir constantly until absorbed by rice. Then add the next spoonful.
8. Continue to add the broth, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock.
9. Keep stirring and adding broth for about 30-35 minutes. The longer you take to add all the broth, and the faster you stir, the creamier and better.
10. After all broth is added, test a bite of risotto to see if rice is cooked to your liking.
11. Take risotto off the heat. Add butter and stir. Add parmiggiano cheese and stir.

Serve with more parmiggiano grated on top and a few sprigs of parsley.

Buon Appetito!