Delicata Squash Risotto

I love risotto. Its one of the easiest, most fool-proof things to make, and I seem to always have the ingredients for some kind of risotto here on hand, so I find myself using it as a "go-to" for dinner when I haven't really planned anything. Its rich, hearty, satisfying, and inexpensive, all while being a great way to have a meat-free dinner. Tonight, I have a delicata squash from the farm share and some sage (that has been growing like a weed in the garden). I'll use some of my "surprise" fall onions as a garnish.
First, I peel and seed the squash. SQUASH GUTS! I read in Martha Stewart Living this month that like pumpkin seeds, the seeds from all squashes are edible, so if I had been feeling extra energetic, I could have cleaned and roasted the seeds. I was not feeling that way though, so I tossed em in the compost.

Then I cut the squash into tiny pieces, and dice an onion and about 5 cloves of garlic. I should probably tell you here, that my squash risotto is different that most in that I don't puree a roasted squash and mix it in at the end. Instead, I leave it in chunks, as I like the pieces in my finished risotto.

I diced up a little bit of habenero as we like heat, and its orange color goes with the orangeness of the rest of the dish.

Saute onions, garlic and sage with a little bit of olive oil in a large pot. When translucent, add squash and habenero.
Add ground black pepper and a little bit of salt. Cook for a minute or so and...

Add arborio rice.

Let me take a moment to mention, that if you don't have arborio rice, its okay to substitute nothing. Seriously, if you don't have arborio, you are not making risotto. Its a really starchy rice that, as it cooks, releases its starches, giving the risotto its creamy texture. Its widely available pretty much at all grocery stores, but if you are in the city, I recommend picking up a 2 lb bag at DiGregorios for cheap.

Cook a couple of minutes until rice is shiny.

Then add a cup or so of dry white wine. (Boxed Pinot Grigio is always good for cooking here. A little wine for the risotto, a little wine for the cook.)

To add a little more orange to the mix and a subtle flavor and scent, throw in some saffron. As much as your budget will allow.

I love the way that saffron not only comes in a tiny jar, but in a tiny bag inside the tiny jar.

When the wine has cooked off, add chicken stock, a half cup at a time, and stir until absoarbed. For about a cup of arborio, I use about 4 cups of stock. (Okay, I know I said "meat-free" earlier, but I don't count chicken stock as meat. Its more of a "what you do with stuff left over from meat" product.)

Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. Add stock, stir. And, the rice should be plumped up and thick, and creamy looking. Taste to make sure the rice is tender and no longer crunchy. When the rice is done, the squash is done.

Turn off the heat. Add some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and some fresh parsley. Taste again and adjust salt and pepper. At this point I threw in a little bit of my spring/fall onions, but just a tiny bit. This risotto has a delicate flavor and I didn't want to overwhelm it with a raw onion taste.

If you want to be fancy like us, garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Risotto is another one of those great dishes that lends itself to seasonality. This risotto, with the winter squash and sage, tastes like fall to me. Asparagus or pea risottos are great in the spring, and mushroom risottos are great all year round. (Cognac instead of wine is FANTASTIC in mushroom risotto.)