Fall Comfort Food

I love the fall. Turtlenecks and my favorite pumpkin colored coat and house slippers and butternut squash. The ones they sell at Chinos Family Farm are petite and delicious and this dish was simple, comforting and so incredibly good that my sister and I didn’t speak to one another for five minutes when we first sat down to eat. Since you are likely to encounter these lovelies at the green market in the coming weeks, thought you might want to give this dish a try.

Butternut Squash Rissotto
1/2 of a butternut squash (roast in oven for ~30 min to soften)
1 cup Arborio rice
1 shallot, sliced thin
Rosemary sprig(s)
Fresh nutmeg
Parmesano reggiano
Stock (homemade is obviously the best, but if in a rush, I prefer Swanson’s Natural Goodness Reduced Sodium)

Cook shallots in olive oil, add butternut squash. Salt and pepper. After about five minutes, add the rice and cook for ~2 minutes. Start adding stock. Add diced rosemary, grate some fresh nutmeg into the pot, and taste stock for salt/pepper. Stir, add stock, stir, etc. When rice is just done add a handful of grated parm/regg and stir into the risotto real well. Serve with generous amounts of cheese on top. If you’re feeling fancy add a small rosemary sprig on top of the rice before serving.