September 12, 2010

butternut squash risotto with fresh fresh peas

heat about 1 litre of chicken stock on the stove in a pot - keep this at just under a simmer

1 onion chopped
teaspoon of olive oil

heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot (on medium)
add the chopped onion and stir until translucent
stir in chopped butternut squash - 2 cups or so - cut into 1cm pieces
add 1 cup of Arborio Italian rice and stir until mixed with the other ingredients

add in 1/2 cup of white wine and stir until absorbed (in this case I added lemon juice and a bit of pink grapefruit juice)

Keep adding ladles of chicken stock into the rice mixture - letting each ladle full absorb before the next. If it is boiling in the pan then your pan is probably too hot.

When all of the stock is used and the rice tastes done (not crunchy) then you can add the fresh peas (frozen will also do fine) - about one cup. At this stage you could also add some parmesan cheese - about 1/2 cup would be fine, more if you want cheesier or less if not. Sometimes I don't put it in at all (especially for friends that can not eat dairy products).

Turn off the stove and take the pot off of the burner. Put a lid on the risotto and let it rest for a while until dinner is ready.

I am making this ahead for tomorrow night and will serve it with a green salad.