butternut squash risotto with mushrooms



What do you make for dinner when you are not eating gluten or sugar, and your dining companion is a vegetarian allergic to pretty much everything under the sun?

I faced this dilemma when my friend Rae came over for dinner last week.  Rae and I lived together for a stint in college, but I typically avoid cooking for her because her allergies give me a panic attack.  (Right up there with my claustrophobia is an irrational fear of accidentally giving someone anaphylaxis.)  Rae is allergic or intolerant to a laundry list of items, including, but not limited to: avocados, mangoes, peanuts, pine nuts, (she has recently outgrown her allergy to walnuts and almonds), barley, hops, and tequila (though I think she's making that one up).  On top of those aversions, she eats no land animals, and very little fish.  A much more compassionate human being than I, Rae became a vegetarian as a precocious preschooler.  She has stuck with it ever since, unlike most children who are just picky and quit their ways when their parents tell them that they have to actually eat vegetables if they want to be considered a "vegetarian".  That may have been what happened to Bollie at age 5.  My mom wasn't going to let her live on peanut butter and cheetos sandwiches forever. 

Though I am, for the most part, a neurotic control freak rational, methodical person, on the rarest of occasions I sometimes forgo logical thought processes.  Like last Thursday.  I chose risotto for our romantic dinner on an 80 degree day.  (Despite its starchy, creamy texture, risotto is actually gluten-free!)  And instead of making it with something "springy", like asparagus, I chose to make it with butternut squash.  Did I mention it was 80 degrees outside?  In my defense, it was March 15, which to me means there remain only two weeks in the Socially Acceptable Period For The Consumption of Winter Squashes.  And since I stockpile gourds like the world is going to end and I am going to be forced into a post-apocalyptic Iron Chef: Winter Squash challenge to determine who gets the last spot on the escape shuttle to outer space (because surely, knowing how to cook butternut squash will come in handy on Planet X), I decided to hone my skillz with a butternut squash risotto.  Plus, Patti made a similar dish for Friendsgiving 2011, and it was a roaring success. 

So, there I was, stirring my butternut squash risotto and straining myself to hear the NCAA tournament playing on the TV in the next room.  There's another rational thought - make the most labor-intensive, finicky dish in the history of Italian pasta when you really just want to be watching March Madness instead.  If you've never made risotto, know that it is time-consuming, tedious, and, above all, an exercise in patience.  It is kind of like a small child.  It requires devotion and constant attention, and you have to be careful how much liquid you give it.  It must be babysat, and you have to stir it gently and frequently.  But when it is done right, it's delicious, so it's worth it. 

Also, it needs to be served immediately.  It is not good if it sits out, and it's not particularly good as leftovers.  I got a late start on the risotto because I know Rae's internal clock is 20 minutes behind the rest of the world's, so it actually worked out perfectly.  I was spooning the risotto into a bowl right when she walked in my front door.  We added some mushrooms to the risotto for good measure, and we really liked the earthiness it added.  We paired our dish with a green salad (with basil! Genius thinking, Rae) and it was a delicious supper.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Mushrooms
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Serves 4 as main course

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, minced (yellow or white)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock, if not making vegetarian)

1 1/2 - 2 cups butternut squash puree (one small squash)

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

6 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roast butternut squash (halved vertically, face up in a roasting pan) in oven until soft, about an hour.  Let cool completely and scoop out the flesh.  Puree.  This can be done in advance.   

2.  In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together the stock and 1 1/2 to 2 cups squash puree. Bring just to a simmer, 8 to 10 minutes; maintain over low heat.
3.  In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon olive oil.  Saute onion and garlic, stirring frequently, until caramelized, about 7 minutes.

4.  Add risotto and another scant tablespoon of olive oil (if necessary) to pan and stir, until grains are coated with oil and are transparent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes.

5.  Stir in sage and rosemary.  Add the white wine until it is absorbed.

6.  Add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring after each addition. Wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

7.  When the rice is almost al dente, after about 25 minutes, add the mushrooms and continue to cook as you have been - adding liquid, stirring until absorbed, and repeating. 

8. When the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 10-15 minutes more, stir in the remaining two tablespoons of butter, the cheese, salt, and pepper.  Add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy (I added a couple more ladlefuls).  Serve immediately.

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