Butternut Squash Risotto

YUM!!! I love Risotto and what says love in the fall more than butternut squash risotto? Haha. Please make, eat, and enjoy. It is delish and exactly what the fall weather calls for. This will be a little tricky telling you the recipe as I don't usually measure anything when I cook, just remember that I am a true chef at heart, and not a baker. I hardly measure anything when I cook, and when I do, it is only for you good kind hearted people who read this little blog of mine. Ok, here we go. Delicious Butternut Squash Risotto. (swoon)...

Ok, you will need the following: butternut squash, pancetta, arborio rice, butter, good white wine, GOOD Parmesan cheese, and stock. (I used turkey stock that was left over from our "friend's thanksgiving party, but veggie stock or chicken stock would work great too.)

De-Seed the squash, peel and cut into 1" cubes. Place on a baking tray, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pour GOOD olive oil over the squash and add salt and pepper. coat well and place in the oven for about 25 minutes, turning once halfway through.

Meanwhile, dice up one SMALL onion and about 2 ounces of the pancetta.

Get a large pan and place about 4-5 tablespoons of butter in the pan on medium heat.

As the butter melts down, add the diced pancetta and diced onions.

Allow to simmer for about 7 minutes until the onions become translucent. Meanwhile, place about 5 cups of stock (turkey, chicken or veggie) in a bot and bring to a simmer. You want to keep it hot, since when you add the warm stock to the risotto, it releases the starch in the rice.

Add about 1.5-2 cups of arborio rice.

Mix thoroughly to get the rice coated well with the butter.

Add about 2 cups of GOOD white wine. STIR.

Wait till the wine become absorbed by the rice, then add about two ladles of the warm stock to the risotto. Once those ladles become absorbed, add two more. Continue until cooked through, this roughly takes about 30 minutes of back and forth with adding the stock (2 ladles at a time) and stirring.

Here's a pic of my stock simmering away...

And here is my risotto, soaking up all it's goodness.

Once the butternut squash is cooked through in the oven, pop it into the risotto once the risotto is ALMOST cooked through. You want to add it right before it's cooked all the way through, so it can add in the flavor of the roasted butternut squash.

Go ahead and break it up with your wooden spoon, smash it up and the risotto becomes this beautiful rich orange color.

Add in another 2 ladles of the stock in order to let the squash soak up the flavors too as the risotto finishes cooking through.

Oh yes, did I mention, cooking always go better when you have a glass or two of wine? Shred up some Parmesan cheese to stir into the risotto, and enough to top each plate.

This cheese is DELICIOUS. I highly recommend.

SOOOOOO tasty!!! I couldn't stop eating it!