RISOTTO DI ZUCCA (WINTER SQUASH RISOTTO)

RISOTTO DI ZUCCA (WINTER SQUASH RISOTTO) image

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS
Zucca di Mantova (half) about 750 g (1 ½ lb)
1 liter vegetable or chicken stock
80 g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
300 g (1 ½ cups) Italian Carnaroli or Arborio rice
240 ml (1 cup) dry white wine, at room temperature
25 g (¼ cup) grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly white ground pepper

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (390-400°F). Cut pumpkin in half crosswise and scoop out the seeds and stringy material. Wash in plain cold water. Place the pumpkin halves on a baking sheet and bake for about 1-1/2 hours or until the flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork. Don't worry if the edges are browned. The natural sugars actually caramelize and give it a richer more complex flavor. When it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mush it with a fork. Set aside half of the puree. You can freeze the other half in a plastic bag or air-tight container for another risotto. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm up the stock In a large saucepan heat 50 g (4 T) butter. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the rice and stir thoroughly for about 3 minutes, in order to "coat" the rice well with the butter and onions. (This helps regulate absorption of the wine.) Add the wine and stir until is completely absorbed Add a soup ladle or two of the stock until the rice is just covered, and stir continuously with a wooden spoon. When the stock is almost completely absorbed, repeat this process for about 15 minutes (it depends on the rice's cooking time, which should be clearly indicated on the package) Add the squash and cook for about 2 minutes. The end of the cooking is critical for the final texture of the dish, so when the rice is nearly tender to the bite, but with just a hint of resistance (al dente), and the liquid you have added up to this point has been mostly absorbed (the risotto should seem a bit "soupy"), add the Parmesan and butter to taste, about 30 g (2 T). Remove your risotto from the heat. At this point, stir the risotto vigorously to blend in the cheese and butter. You can also add some salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Let it stand for 1 or 2 minutes and serve immediately (plan your timing well - it is very easy to overcook risotto!).