Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

[Harborwitch]

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto
- makes 4 entrée or 8 side-dish servings -
Adapted from Giada's Kitchen.
Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 large vanilla bean
3 cups butternut squash cut into 1-inch squares (about 12 ounces)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
Procedure
1. In a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add them and the bean to the broth. When the broth comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low. Add the butternut squash to the simmering broth and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked squash to a side dish. Turn the heat on the broth down to very low and cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Discard the vanilla bean.
3. Turn off the heat under the risotto (and the remaining broth, if any). Gently stir in the butternut squash, Parmesan cheese, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and the salt. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the chives. Serve immediately.

I simmered the vanilla bean in the stock, but I roasted my butternut squash and I think it gave it a much deeper flavor. This was fantastic! Now I guess I have to add this book to my Christmas list too.

[Gourmet_Mom]

This looks wonderful Sharon. We have fallen in LOVE with butternut squash. I think William would eat it roasted with just OO, salt and pepper. While I love it with sage, I'm game to try it with a vanilla bean. (I've been meaning to buy some. Now to find a local source. Probably at a shop that carries that mustard I want to buy more of.)

OT, I'm scared to pull up the the book wish list...LOL! My list is already LONG!

[Harborwitch]

Daphne I made arancini from the leftover risotto this am. I've washed dishes, washed my hands with scented soap, and been generally busy. My hands still smell like butternut squash and vanilla.

I just scored a butternut squash lasagna recipe I'm going to have to try as soon as we get moved. I love butternut and acorn squash so much! Good thing Bob likes them too!

[Dismc]

I'm definitely going to be making this. Thanks for the recipe.

[cjs]

This looks really good Sharon! I've been playing with squash today also - this is a good thread to add it to, I think (if you don't mind) -

The ingredient list is long, but you can do all three parts at different times, so makes it easy. The soup is done and it's delicious - so creamy tasting, but no cream!

The sage pesto is done, but I don't care for it as much as some of the other sage pestos I've made - but, it may be very good when we taste it with the soup and hash, so will reserved saying don't make it. I've got to go searching for the source of this recipe, I didn't make a note of it....shame on me.

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SOUP WITH SAGE PESTO & BRUSSELS SPROUTS HASH

For the soup:
4 delicate squash
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 onion - medium dice
2 stalks celery - medium dice
1 cup white wine
1 qt chicken stock
1 tbsp. lemon - juice of

For the Brussels Sprout Hash:
12 Brussels sprouts
6 red bliss potatoes -medium size
4 slices bacon - (or pancetta)
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
1 ½ oz sherry wine vinegar
2 tbsp. red pepper - brunoise (finely chopped)
2 tbsp. yellow pepper - brunoise (finely chopped)
1 tbsp. mixed chopped herbs

For the Sage Pesto:
1/4 cup sage leave
1 bunch parsley
1 tsp. chopped fresh garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh shallots
1 1/2 lemon - juice of
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper - to taste

Cut squash in half and fill pockets with butter (reserve 2 tbsp.) and sprinkle cavities with brown sugar. Roast covered in 350° oven until tender, approximately 15 minutes. Cool and scoop out squash. In a large pot melt 2 tbsp of butter and sauté onions and celery until soft. De-glaze with white wine and reduce liquid by half. Add squash puree and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. In a blender, puree in small batches. Strain through fine messy strainer (chinois). Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Trim the stem of each Brussels sprout and score the bottom. In a saucepan bring approximately 1 quart of water to a boil. Season water with salt. Add the Brussels sprouts and boil until fork tender. Drain immediately and shock in ice water. Cut Brussels sprouts in half and slice. Reserve.

In a saucepan cook the red bliss potatoes in enough salted water to cover. Bring the water to a boil and cook until tender. Drain, let cool and cut in small dice. Chop bacon into small pieces and cook in a sauté pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove bacon from the oil. In a mixing bowl whisk the bacon oil, mustard and sherry vinegar until mixture resembles a vinaigrette. Toss in the peppers, cooked bacon, herbs, diced potato and sliced Brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

De-stem the parsley and sage and place in a blender. Add the garlic and shallots and lemon juice. Pulse to blend. Drizzle in the oil to create a smooth emulsification. Put in a squirt bottle and keep cold until ready to use.

To Serve: Ladle a generous serving of soup into a bowl. Place a large spoonful of the brussel sprout hash in center of the soup. Drizzle over the sage pesto making abstract designs." Recommended Wine Snoqualmie Syrah

[Gourmet_Mom]

OH Sharon, I had the most amazing butternut squash recipe from the Ultimate Italian book! We LOVED it!

[cjs]

I'm looking and looking in the Ultimate book and I sure can't find it, Daphne - what's the name?

[Harborwitch]

Jean that sounds divine! This can just become a butternut squash thread! Freakin' ants ate my sage plant! Little ba$. . . . ! Guess I'll have to buy some.

When I made the arancini this am I'd already planned for a gorgonzola sauce to serve with them. Everytime I make risotto now I make the leftovers into arancini and freeze them. All I need to do is defrost, egg & bread crumb, and fry 'em up!

[Gourmet_Mom]

Page 26 Jean! We really liked it. It was so simple and something I could throw together after work. Even easier if you use store bought noodles. William keeps asking me to make it again.

I pm'ed the recipe to Sharon since I was unsure about posting a BH&G recipe here. Although, like I told her, I think I may have posted one before when I first got the book....LOL! I'll post it here if you think it'll be okay with "management".

[cjs]

I don't know how I missed that in the index! I even have the recipe highlighted. It does look good.


This was last night's dinner - the flavors are really good.

I do prefer my other sage pestos, but this one was very good with all the other flavors.

And a Syrah/Shiraz was perfect with it.