Barefoot Contessa's Butternut Squash Risotto

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 ounces pancetta, diced
• 1/2 cup minced shallot (2 large)
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces)
• 1/2 cup dry wine
• 1 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.
• 2 peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes.
• 3 you should have about 6 cups.
• 4 place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• 5 roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender.
• 6 set aside.
• 7 meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan.
• 8 leave it on low heat to simmer.
• 9 in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.
• 10 add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter.
• 11 add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.
• 12 add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• 13 stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.
• 14 continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes.
• 15 each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock.
• 16 continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.
• 17 off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and parmesan.
• 18 mix well and serve.