Butternut Squash Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Sage Leaves

Risotto is one of my little indulgences. The kids have only recently decided that they like rice, and they are still very particular about which rice dishes they find acceptable. My quinoa and rice pilaf is at the very top of their list, but risotto is my favorite.

Risotto is more of a technique than a dish, and it is open to an almost infinite variety of combinations. The first risotto I ever had was a spinach risotto with toasted pine nuts, and my standard is a wild mushroom risotto with pancetta and thyme.

I came across this recipe from Williams Sonoma and knew that had to make a variation of it. I love the combination of butternut squash and sage, and I thought that the addition of the sweet, sticky caramelized onions would be a lovely addition to the creaminess of the risotto.

It was.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Sage Leaves

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
•  4 tablespoons of butter
• olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced shallot
• ¼ cup Carnarole rice or another suitable risotto rice like Arborio or Vialone Nano
• ¼ cup sherry or white wine
• 1 quart warm stock
• ¼ cup roasted butternut squash, cubed
• ¼ cup roasted butternut squash, pureed
• salt
• pepper
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan
• whole fresh sage leaves

Directions:

1.  Make the caramelized onions by cooking down the thinly sliced onion in 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat for an hour or until the are richly browned and sticky. Stir frequently to be sure that they don't stick and burn. Set aside.
2. Make the crispy sage leaves by melting 1 tablespoon of butter and sauteing the leaves until crispy. Set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and saute the shallot until soft, then add the rice, stirring until everything is nicely coated. Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the sherry or wine and cook, stirring frequently, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Start adding the warm stock 1 ladleful at a time, stirring frequently, and continue to cook until the rice is done al dente - it will still have some bite to it, but not be chalky or crunchy. The grains of rice should have lost the white opaque center. This could take 10 minutes or up to 20 minutes depending on hte type of rice. Taste as you go.
6. Add your salt and pepper and stir in the caramelized onions and grated parm. Stir well.
7. Serve topped with crispy sage leaves.

Notes:

• I made a few changes from the original recipe because I wanted both pureed squash and cubes of squash for a little textural contrast, and I used sherry instead of white wine because that's what I had on hand.

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Green Pea and Saffron Risotto

Risotto is one of my "feelin' fancy" comfort dishes. The end result can be elegant or homey, and the process of making it is fairly involved, what with the constant attention and stirring. It's nice too, because it's so simple to make for one person. It's better that way too, because I've found that risotto, like fettucini alfredo, does not reheat well. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's still edible, and delicious, but the I think that the texture is drastically different.

Risotto is also a classic example of how quality ingredients can make all the difference in the world. Sure, you can whip together a cheesy-rice concoction of long-grain rice finished with parm-from-a-green-can, and while it would have the starchy comfort of rice and the umami-ness of the powdered parm, it won't have the same creaminess. The first real risotto I had was damn-near transcendent, and I've loved them ever since.

Green Pea and Saffron Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup rice - Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli (see Notes)
• 1/4 cup white wine
• pinch of saffron
• 2 cups chicken broth, simmering over low heat
• 1/4 cup green peas, cooked
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the chicken broth in a pot and keep at a low simmer.
   
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until the onion is soft.
   
3. Add the rice and stir to coat well. Cook the rice for about 2 minutes, then add the saffron and the wine. Stir well , and once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, start adding the chicken broth 1 ladleful at a time, adding more as the liquid is absorbed and stirring well the whole time.
   
4. Continue until the rice is al dente, firm, but not chalky when you bite into it. You want there to be some creaminess and looseness to it. There will still be liquid, but it will be thick and creamy from the starch released by the rice.
   
5. Add the peas and 1/3 cup of the parmigiano reggiano and stir well. Taste for seasoning, you can add salt and pepper, but I usualy don't with this dish.
   
6. Serve garnished with a bit more parmigiano reggiano.
   

Notes:

• I used to use only Arborio rice for my risottos until I was turned on to the Vialone Nano and Carnaroli varieties. Just as Arborio is heads and shouders above regular long or medium-grain rices for risotto-making, so are Vialone Nano and Carnaroli far above Arborio.
  
  I totally recommend using Arborio when you're just starting out making risottos. Once you make the switch though, you'll notice how different the rices are. Carnaroli stays the firmest of the 3, yet it still yields the creaminess that makes a risotto a risotto. Vialone Nano seems to absorb liquid faster than the other 2.

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Risotto with Pancetta and Peas

Last night I had such a craving for a nice risotto, but I wanted something different from my two standbys, Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pancetta and Thyme and Spinach Risotto with Toasted Pine Nuts. Now, while perusing the Chow discussion boards, I came across what I call the Holy Grail of risottos, a Toasted Pistachio Gorgonzola Dolce risotto so rich and sumptuous that I can only imagine allowing myself to make it as a very special occasion. Of course it might well be the case that the special occasion is making that risotto.

Nevertheless, in order to do justice to the exacting recipe (I still have not found a truly excellent olive oil), I decided to wait. Setting that decadent recipe aside *deep sigh of longing* I continued to search out something new. I found a Sweet Carrot Risotto which looks absolutely divine. The only problem was that I had only one measly carrot in my vegetable drawer. I didn't feel like going out to the store for 2 bags of organic carrots, so I kept looking.

I stumbled across a delicious-looking Pumpkin Risotto at La Cucina Italiana. Perfect, I thought. I have several packages of pumpkin puree in the freezer from last fall. I could thaw one out and be all set with a creamy, luscious dish of savory pumpkin goodness. The recipe as it stood was not exactly what I craved, but I thought I could experiment a bit and tweak it. The problem? Once I had the pumpkin half-thawed in the microwave, it had a funky smell to it. Argh. So aggravating!

By that time I already had the pancetta diced and the shallots minced. What to do? I took another foray into my freezer and spied a bag of frozen peas. Ok. Pancetta and Pea Risotto. Simple, but still sublime.

Risotto with Pancetta and Peas

Ingredients:

• 1/8 oz. pancetta
• olive oil
• butter
• shallots, finely minced
• garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice
• 1/4 cup white wine
  
• chicken broth, heated
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano
  

Directions:

1. Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan.
   


2. In a wide skillet, saute the diced pancetta in a bit of olive oil over medium high heat until browned. remove the pancetta and set aside.
   


3. To the mixture of hot oil and rendered fat, add a tablespoon of unsalted butter and let melt and foam. Add the shallots and saute for one minute, then add the garlic. Stir well for another minute and do not let burn.
   


4. Add the rice and stir until well coated.
   


5. Add the white wine and stir until all the liquid is absorbed.
   


6. Add the hot stock one ladleful at a time, until it is all absorbed into the rice. Stir very well.
   


7. After about 15 minutes after you added the first ladle of stock, the liquid should start to look creamy from the starch released by the rice. Taste the rice for doneness. It should be firm, but not chalky in the center.
   


8. Add one more ladle of stock and stir in the cheese. Fold in the peas and the pancetta and stir until heated through. You may add a bit more butter if you like.
   


9. Plate in a shallow bowl and garnish with more grated pecorino. Serve immediately.
   

Notes:

1. For some reason, every single time I cook with pancetta, I smoke up the entire house. I never have this problem with regular old bacon or smoked sausages, but the pancetta sends smoke up billowing. I have to run the downstairs ceiling fans, open all the windows and the front door to clear the place out.
   
   I have tried frying it in a dry pan, in an oiled pan, in a buttered pan, but the result is always the same. Next time I may try a lower flame and see if that makes a difference.
   


2. For some reason, when I make risotto, I prefer pecorino romano to parmigianno reggiano.
   


3. For this recipe, I found that extra salt and pepper are unnecessary. The pancetta is plenty peppery on its own, and cooking the rice in the rendered fat infuses the risotto with all that flavor. The chicken broth adds the necessary salt.
   

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Spinach Risotto

A carb-addict, I tend to go for the starchy foods. In my pantry - which, in my galley kitchen really just amounts to my cabinets and countertops - I have a variety of different rices:

• Regular old long-grain white rice which I buy in 10-lb bags and use in mixed-grain pilafs;
• Long-grain brown rice;
• White basmati rice, when I want Indian food;
• Organic brown basmati rice, when I want to be virtuously healthy about craving Indian food;
• Jasmine rice, its delicate fragrance essential for when I crave Thai food or want to make my butternut squash soup with chouriço and corn;
• Sticky rice, or Glutinous rice from my local Korean grocer, which I use only when I make kimchi-fried rice. You may wonder, how often can a person actually make and eat kimchi-fried rice? Well, you'd be surprised. Living in Korea for a year has left me with a permanent craving for Korean foods which will strike at odd times.
• Wild rice, not a real rice, but a reedy grass, native to North America. Still, when mixed with an assortment of mushrooms, it makes a wonderful stuffing for a leg of lamb.
  

and finally:


• Arborio rice, for my rice porridge and risotto fixes.

I had my first bite of risotto at a friend's house. Until then, I'd had no idea what I was missing. I was fortunate in that I was present when she was making this, so I have since done my best to deconstruct the recipe and have made it many times, with great success.

In fact, this is the only way I have gotten my kids to eat cooked spinach when it's all out there in the open as a major ingredient; all the other times I've had to skulk around the kitchen furtively and hide the spinach in lasagna, stuffed shells or that one time when I made homemade ravioli.

Poor spinach! Such a maligned food, yet so good for us! This filling and warming recipe is a good bet to get some of your pickier eaters gobbling down the green stuff.

Spinach Risotto with Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients:

• 6 cups broth (chicken, vegetable), heated
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• 2 shallots, finely minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• ½ cup dry white wine
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 10-pkg frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
  
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted*
  

Directions:

1. Bring the broth to a boil and the reduce heat to low.


2. In a deep saucepan, melt the butter and olive oil over med-high heat. Saute the shallots, onion and garlic until soft and translucent, not browned.


3. Add the rice and stir, coating all the grains.


4. Add the spinach and stir well, breaking up any clumps. Let any excess liquid from the spinach absorb fully.
   


5. Reduce heat to medium, stir in the wine; once it is absorbed, add the hot broth, one ladleful at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more.


6. After 15 minutes, taste some of the rice. It should be firm, not mushy, but it should not be bright white in the center and chalky. You will probably have some broth left over.


7. Take off the heat and stir in the parmesan and top with toasted pine nuts.


8. Serve, garnished with additional grated cheese if you like.

* To toast the pine nuts, I like to do it in an un-greased skillet over high heat, stirring constantly, because once they start to burn, they go really fast! At the first sight of light browning, take them off the heat and put them into a bowl.

You can also toast them in the oven on an un-greased cookie sheet at a low setting, but you'll have to check them frequently. Tweet

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pancetta, Thyme and Cream

I know that some people consider it a blasphemy to add cream to an already creamy risotto, but I like to live decadently. Besides, I don't eat this every day.

This serves 4 people as a side dish or elegant appetizer; 2 people as a main dish or 1 person gluttonously.

Don't even ask me how I know that.

Wild Mushroom Risotto with Pancetta, Thyme and Cream

Ingredients:

½ oz pancetta, diced (about three slices)
Olive oil
3 cremini mushrooms, sliced
An assortment of dried mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
5 cups chicken stock
butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup of white wine
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¼ cup shredded pecorino romano
Fresh thyme
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Saute the pancetta in a little bit of olive oil, rendering off the fat.
Remove the pancetta and sauté the fresh cremini in the rendered fat until they’re nicely golden.
Add the pancetta back to the pan and toss together for a few seconds, then take out of the pan and drain the excess oil/fat.
Saute the shallots in butter over medium-high heat until translucent.
Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the chopped wild mushrooms, let cook for a minute or so and then add the rice and stir to coat well.
Pour in the wine and stir. Once it has absorbed into the rice, start adding the stock, one ladleful at a time. Stir constantly.
Once the rice is cooked (no longer chalky-white in the center, but still firm (but not crunchy) to taste, add the cream, pecorino and thyme.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Then toss in the pancetta and cremini mushrooms.

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