Butternut Squash & Shiitake Mushroom Risotto
Submitted by happyzhangbo
Creamy arborio rice risotto with roasted butternut squash, earthy shiitake mushrooms, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. A low-fat, vegetarian comfort dish that’s worthy of a dinner party.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
66 minThere’s something almost meditative about stirring a pot of risotto, ladle by ladle, until it transforms into something impossibly creamy.
This version pairs sweet butternut squash with earthy shiitake mushrooms and a splash of dry white wine.
The arborio rice slowly drinks up warm broth until each grain is plump and tender, then gets finished with a generous shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
It’s low-fat comfort food that looks and tastes like you spent hours in a Milanese kitchen.
Kitchen Tips
- Keep the broth hot in a separate pan the entire time; adding cold liquid shocks the rice and slows cooking
- Stir constantly but gently so you don’t break the squash pieces apart
- The risotto is done when it flows like lava, not when it sits in a stiff mound
- Use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for the best flavor
Ingredients
Directions
Add broth in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat, so the broth remains steaming, but is not simmering.
At the same time, add oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in shallots, cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add butternut squash and mushrooms, cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid comes out of the mushrooms, 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in thyme, salt and black pepper, cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Stir in rice, stir until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed by the rice, 2 minutes.
Pour in ½ cup of the hot broth, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed.
Keep adding the broth ½ cup at a time, stirring after each adding until all the liquid has been absorbed, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 40 minutes . (You may have some broth left.)
Remove from the heat and mix in cheese.
Serve warm.
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