Butternut Squash Risotto

The original recipe calls for 1/2 of a squash peeled, seeded and diced. Give me a break. I tried once to handle an entire squash and I have never tried again. I buy it at Costco... it comes pre-diced in a 2 lb container. I used it all because I had no plans to make anything else with butternut squash soon. Next time I will spend the extra time to further dice the pieces. I spent a lot more than "several minutes" (as the recipe states) cooking the squash and it still came out a little too tough for my taste. Also we replaced 2 cups of the vegetable broth with white wine (allegedly b/c I only had 4 cups of broth but we probably would have done it anyway. And, as always for me, no parsley. Great dish... will totally make it again.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs diced butternut squash
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 whole Diced Onion
• 1-1/2 cup Arborio Rice
• 6 cups (approximately) Vegetable Or Chicken Broth (low Sodium)
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream (less If Desired)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Shavings (more For Serving)
• Finely Minced Parsley, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add squash and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook for several minutes, turning gently with a spatula, until squash is deep golden brown and tender (but not falling apart.) Remove to a plate and set aside.
2. Heat broth in a saucepan over low heat. Keep warm. (Personally I'm about 50/50 whether I actually heat up the liquid)
3. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add Arborio rice and stir, cooking for 1 minute.
4. Reduce heat to low. In 1-cup increments, begin adding broth to the skillet, stirring to combine and gently stirring as the broth is absorbed. As soon as the liquid disappears, add in another cup to cup-and-a-half of broth. Continue this process, stirring gently as the broth incorporates and the rice starts to become tender. Add salt, pepper along the way.
5. Taste the rice after about 5 cups of broth have been absorbed and see what the consistency is. Add another 1 to 2 cups of broth as needed to get the rice to the right consistency: it should be tender with just a little bit of "bite" left to it.
6. When the rice is tender, add in the cooked squash and turmeric and stir it in gently. Add the cream and Parmesan shavings and stir until it's just combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
7. Sprinkle minced parsley over the top and serve immediately!

Photo and Recipe from The Pioneer Woman

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