Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients: all (mostly) available, or at least easily substitutable.
Assistance from Gigi: peeled and cut up squash, and chopped shallots.

I love risotto, so I was mostly looking forward to this recipe. But, I've been generally following the South Beach diet recently (which I was aware would be a problem with Barefoot Blogging), and I was a bit concerned that a big ol' pile of rice might do me in. I also faced the problem that my husband does not like risotto, and I knew my children wouldn't like it either.

As recipes go, this was pretty easy to make, Manila-style. But right off the bat, I have never seen butternut squash in a store or market since arriving in the Philippines. Acorn squash is available everywhere, so that was my first substitution. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten some pancetta if I'd looked hard enough, but it was pouring rain, and I didn't want to walk over to the gourmet market that would have carried it. I really wanted to make the risotto tonight, so I went ahead and used bacon instead. Shallots are frequently unavailable here, but they either just came in season, or I purchased tiny red onions. Everything else, I had on hand.

My kitchen could handle risotto. The squash fit on the one rimmed baking sheet that fits in my tiny oven. I simmered the chicken broth (I didn't feel like making stock) on the stove, and used my favorite cheater-appliance--my electric skillet--to make the risotto. Not all of the burners on my stove work, and they are not remotely sensitive. . .if I have to turn up the heat, or turn down the heat, I can expect about a 5-minute reaction time.

Meet my sad little stovetop, with my sad little baking sheet. There are two burners underneath the baking sheet. One is small, and the other one doesn't work.


This is my sad little oven. It did just fine roasting my acorn squash. It's not the worst oven in the world, and it has taught me loosely how to convert from fahrenheit to centigrade when cooking. But it is tiny, and won't feet a sheet pan.

And here is my electric skillet in action. It actually worked quite well for the simmering of the rice. On the first addition of chicken stock, Ina says to let the rice cook for about 10 minutes, but it only took about 2 minutes for the first two ladles of stock to absorb into the rice. But over all it still took me about 35 minutes to get all of the broth to absorb. I think this was due in part to the fact that Ina said it should take 30, and I was afraid to be too far off this mark, so I was constantly adjusting the heat.

When it was all said and done, I really enjoyed the risotto. It was very filling, and I think my body sort of went into shock with all of the carbs and fat. I didn't have a very big serving, and then I started to wonder what I would do with all the rest of it. Luckily, my neighbors had just returned from a weekend out of town, and I knew they'd be hungry, so they took two big servings. Her texted commentary on the risotto, "We r n love.. . .W/ur risotto." [Texting is probably the most popular form of communication here. . .much cheaper than voice calls.]

Then, my husband came home and wanted to know what the rice dish in the kitchen was. I told him that he was welcome to try it, but that it was risotto, and he'd previously told me he didn't like risotto. It turns out (and this has happened before) that he'd just had bad risotto (he described it as "rice in soup"). This risotto he enjoyed. And he even had a second serving. Nice to know I can add this to the "yes" list, after 10 years.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

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. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.