Golden Squash Risotto

If you’ve never made risotto or paella, each is made with arborio rice. If you’re nervous about cooking with arborio rice, the instructions are always the same … Slow down, and the job will go faster. With your stove top 

Golden Squash Risotto

element on medium heat, add just a lee-dle liquid, stirring constantly as you cook the rice slowly, so that the rice absorbs the liquid and starts to puff up before you start all over again, gradually adding more liquid. 

From start to finish, cooking and constantly stirring the rice in this recipe will take about 30 min. As time consuming as this is, it’s mindless, allowing you to have a glass of wine or chat with whoever’s keeping you company in the kitchen. 

The key word is patience, applying not just to this recipe, but to each time you cook with arborio rice.

If you forget these sage words from on high, check out How to Cook Rice and search for “arborio rice.” Sorry to disappoint, but you won’t find anything new. Plenty of patience and plenty of liquid are all it takes to cook arborio rice. Bon courage!

Golden Squash Risotto:

1 large butternut squash (see How to Peel Squash Faster Note)

1 medium cooking onion

2 garlic cloves

2-to-3 tbsp. (30-to-40 mL) olive, canola, or garlic oil

1 tsp. (5 mL) salt

1 tsp. (5 mL) freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp. (2.5 mL) powdered nutmeg

1/4 tsp. (1 mL) cayenne pepper

1-1/2 c. (375 mL) arborio rice, sieve-rinsed with cold water

1 c. (250 mL) dry white wine, divided

4-1/3 c. (1 L plus 5 tbsp.) water, divided

1/3 c. (80 mL) poultry broth concentrate (such as Better than Bouillon)

2 tsp. (10 mL) powdered thyme

1/3 c. (80 mL) powdered Parmesan cheese (see Parmesan Note)

2 green onions (“spring onions”), angle-sliced

Prepare and array all ingredients in advance. Peel and seed squash, dicing into 1-in. (2.54 cm) cubes (see How to Peel Squash Faster Note). The peeled squash will cook as the rice cooks.

Dice onion; mince garlic.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil sizzles, add squash, onion, and garlic, lowering heat to medium. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne, stirring constantly, about 3 min., or until onion appears soft and opaque. 

Continuing to stir, add rice until well-coated with oil. Raising and lowering heat from medium-high to medium, add half the wine, stir-stir-stirring until rice absorbs wine. Add remainder of wine, stirring until rice again absorbs wine. Rice should gradually start to swell without sticking to the skillet. 

Remove approximately 2. c. (500 mL) of the water. Whisk in chicken broth concentrate and set aside. 

Working slowly and with care, stir 1/2 c. (125 mL) of remaining water into risotto mixture. Repeat, constantly stirring, until rice absorbs all the water.  Using the same method, gradually add poultry broth. Expect this process to take about 25 min. If rice is not quite cooked, add a further 1/4 c. (60 mL) water and continue stirring a little longer. 

Add powdered Parmesan cheese until well combined. Adjust the seasoning, as old recipes once said. Translation: You’ll desperately need more salt and pepper. Now’s the time to add it - but if you prefer, let your table mates know you went easy on the salt and leave it up to them to make that decision. Garnish with green onions before serving. Serves 4 as a hearty main dish.

How to Peel Squash Faster Note: Make a slit down the top and bottom of the center of your squash. Pop it into the microwave oven from 6-to-10 min., turning over once. The object for this recipe is to peel the squash - not cook it.

Parmesan Note: A boisterous Parmesan flavor works best in this recipe. I use a shake-on powder. Save the more delicate taste of Parmesan cheese for a dish such as Pesto Italiano or or My All-Time Favorite Lasagna.