The weather is getting cooler – time for some fun Fall dishes.
I am a rice fan – in all its many styles. We probably have seven or eight different varieties on hand at any given moment – maybe more. It’s totally versatile and relatively inexpensive.
One thing we don’t have is a rice cooker. It’s too easy to cook o the stovetop and we really don’t have room for one, anyway. (I just did a major rearrange to fit in a slow cooker! We have a small house.)
One of my more favorite rice dishes is risotto. It’s rice and whatever you want to mix into it – and ready in less than 30 minutes.
Arborio rice is the most common risotto rice in the grocery stores, but I like carnaroli – it’s totally foolproof. And we have a 45 year old Le Creuset braising pan that is perfect for making risotto!
Butternut Squash Risotto
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano)
- 1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups hot chicken broth
- 1 cup peas
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper
Coat cubed squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on sheet-pan in 425° oven for about 25 minutes. Set aside.
Sauté onion in a bit of olive oil and butter in a risotto-style pan. Add garlic and 1 cup rice and continue sauteing until rice is slightly translucent.
Add 1 cup white wine and stir until most of wine is absorbed. Begin adding broth 1 cup at a time, stirring until most has been absorbed before adding the next two.
Add roasted butternut squash and stir in. Add the peas.
Add the final cup and stir and cook until the rice is tender.
Stir in parmesan cheese and butter and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.
It really is a simple dish to prepare – and the possibilities are endless.
And once you make it, it’s always nice to serve it in a nice plate.
We were in Florence back in 2012 and totally splurged on hand-painted made for us chinaware – dishes, platers, bowls, cups – 26 pieces, in all. Totally extravagant – and totally worth it! It took a couple of months for them to be made and shipped – and the packing was so well done there wasn’t a chip on anything. For the first 5 or so years, they sat on display – used only for very special occasions. We finally realized that it makes no sense to keep something and not use it, so they’re in the cupboard and used regularly, today.
The right plate, the right glass… it really does make the food and drink better…