For February’s Ina Friday, we are all making main course dishes. I had been wanting to try out a saffron risoto with butternut squash for quite some time. On my previous attempts at making a great Risotto, I always ended up with a good Risotto. Very Good – but not great. So the idea had been on the back burner. I wanted to make a really great one and so I waited for the perfect moment to arrive.
While deciding what to make for this month’s Ina Friday, I chanced upon the recipe for saffron risotto with butternut squash by Ina. It was the aha moment. Since I have turned vegetarian these days (to some people’s disappointment), I had to make a few changes to the original recipe and wasn’t completely sure that leaving out the pancetta from the original recipe was not going to be the greatest mistake. After all everything’s better with bacon. Since the recipe was calling out to me in its vegetarian form that had taken shape in my mind, I decided to go for it. And I’m glad I did.
The end result was a creamy, aromatic saffron butternut squash risotto and it was by far the best risotto I have ever made. Once again Ina’s recipe did not disappoint, even though I made a lot of changes to the original recipe, it still turned out amazing.
I am dedicating this post in memory of our Blogger friend Chaya’s daughter. I did not know her personally, but I got to know her through Chaya and her touching post about her daughter’s passing. Our thoughts and Prayers are with you, Chaya. We are here for you.
- Alyce @ More Time at the Table
- Anna @ Cheese with Noodles
- Barbara @ Moveable Feasts
- Bhavna @ Just a Girl From AAmchi Mumbai..
- Chaya @ Bizzy Bakes
- Linda, @ Tumbleweed Contessa
- Mary @ The Egg Farm
- Minnie @ The Lady 8 Home
- Mireya @ My Healthy Eating Habits
- Patti @ Comfy Cuisine
- Peggy@ Pantry Revisited
- Rocky Mountain Woman @ Rocky Mountain Woman
- Veronica@ My Catholic Kitchen
Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash #Ina Fridays
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash [peeled and cut into cubes]
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tbs melted butter
- 1/4 C shallots finely chopped
- 1/2 cup minced shallots
- 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon saffron
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the squash on a baking pan and toss it with the olive oil, a pinch of salt, generously sprinkle pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, tossing once, until very tender and caramelized.
- Heat the vegetable broth in a small covered saucepan. Once hot, leave it on to simmer.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and sauté the shallots on medium-low heat until the shallots are translucent.
- Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Now add Add 3/4 C of stock to the rice plus the saffron, salt to taste and generous sprinkling of pepper.
- Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 1/2 to 3/4 C at a time, stirring every few minutes.
- With each addition,cook until the liquid absorbs and the mixture looks a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente. About 30 minutes in all.
- Switch off the heat, add the squash and parmesan. Mix to combine and Serve hot.