ck rOASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
By Carondelet Kitchen inspired by Long Night and Log Fires

YIELD: 
2-4 Servings

TIME:
1 hour
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The Big Guy walked through the back door triumphant. He was holding our first butternut squash from the Carondelet Garden. I know I could have held on to it for a little while, but I was too excited not to try and make something with it.

I love cooking like every night is date night, so I perused my pantry and found I had the ingredients for a butternut risotto. Just another typical weeknight in the Carondelet Kitchen whereby I spontaneously decided to cook a special meal. The recipe called for white wine, so the bonus to the evening was I was able to pair the remainder of it nicely with the risotto.

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INGREDIENTS
 
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and diced
1½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ cup Arborio (risotto) rice
½ cup of white wine
1 12 ounce can of Swanson’s Chicken broth
½ cup parmesan cheese

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PREPARATION
 
Step 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
 
Step 2
Place your squash, already peeled, deseeded, and diced, in a bowl. Add olive oil, approximately 3 tablespoons, along with 1 ½ teaspoons of red pepper flakes. Mix well, then spread the mixture on a roasting sheet. Place in oven for 20 minutes.
 
Step 3
Put your can of chicken broth into a small pot and place on your stove top on low. You will want it to be warmed in time to be added to your rice mixture.
 
Step 4
Chop up your onions and place in a small Dutch oven with your remaining olive oil. Sauté the onions until they become soft, but not brown. Add the rice and stir for two minutes. Add the wine and continuing stirring until the liquid is reduced by half. At this time, add one ladle of chicken broth and continue stirring while the liquid is absorbed. Continue to add the chicken broth one ladle at time repeating the stirring and checking the absorption of the liquid.
 
Step 5
Once you have used your final ladle of broth and the liquid is absorbed, pull the Dutch oven off the heat, and add the parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and the butternut squash. Stir the ingredients together and serve while hot.

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LESSONS LEARNED
Use good white wine. You can enjoy the remainder of the bottle with your meal.
 
You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your personal taste. The same is true for the salt and pepper.