Cookbook #32 Barefoot Contessa Family Style

After any trip, I am just so happy to be home again. My first returning home ritual involves indulging my laundry obsession. Once piles are happily sitting in front of the washer and the comforting sound of the swishing is coming from the washer, I can move to my second ritual--chop, chop, chopping.

Sometimes during this adventure of cooking through all of my cookbooks, I've taken the easy route and sometimes I've gone out on a limb. Returning from an exhausting business trip, I chose the route with almost guaranteed success. Combine three great loves--risotto, butternut squash and Barefoot Contessa--and it's almost impossible to have a miss. Barefoot Contessa, well what can I say about her cookbooks that I haven't already said? Fabulous pictures and perfect recipes that are comforting enough to be considered homestyle cooking, but without the words "1 can of cream of mushroom soup" anywhere in the recipe. Her butternut squash risotta was perfection, as expected. But what wasn't expected was her little twist--she threw in a bit of saffron as well. Those elegant twists are why I love her.




Butternut Squash Risotto
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties

6 cups of butternut squash (a little under 2 lbs)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce 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. 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.