Oven Roasted Squash Risotto with Pancetta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: American
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
Risotto is one of those dishes a lot of people are intimidated by, thinking of it as a fancy restaurant dish or the dish Gordon Ramsey screamed at his chefs on Hell’s Kitchen for not getting it done quickly enough. But, risotto is actually really easy to make, making it a great dinner party meal or a cozy family dinner. Risotto just requires a lot of hands on time. And what makes risotto great is its versatility. There are so many ways to make risotto that all taste great!
In an effort to continue using up my garden squash, I decided a good squash risotto would be perfect. Rather than make this a one pot meal and cook the squash in with the risotto, I decided I wanted to roast it to give it more of a caramelized taste. So, this is a one pot, one sheet pan meal.
Sage always pairs nicely with squash, but I also added in rosemary. The saltiness of the pancetta compliments the sweetness of the squash… I’m a huge fan of the sweet and salty combos!
So the hands on time I mentioned is a lot of stirring. There are methods to cook risotto in the oven, but as I was using that to roast my squash, stovetop was the only choice. Making risotto on the stove requires adding in the broth one cup at a time and stirring, stirring, stirring over medium-high heat. It takes about five minutes for each cup to absorb into the risotto, so the risotto finishes right around the time the squash is finished roasting… perfect timing!
Since you’re constantly stirring over a medium-high flame, prepare to get hot! Pour yourself a cold glass of wine and get your arm exercise on stirring that risotto! You’ll be pleased with the creamy, tender risotto that awaits!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Roasted Squash
2-3 lbs squash, skin removed, deseeded, and cut into 1” cubes
2 TB olive oil
2 TB white miso
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp salt
Risotto
8 oz pancetta, cut into ½” cubes
2 small leeks, thinly sliced rounds
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 TB fresh sage, minced
1 TB rosemary, minced
½ cup provolone, shredded
½ cup fresh parmesan, shredded
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup white wine
6 cups chicken stock
2 TB butter
Instructions
Roast the Squash
Preheat the oven to 400°
In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white miso, cinnamon, coriander, and salt. Arrange the squash on a baking sheet and toss with the miso sauce.
Bake for 40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Make the Risotto
Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown ~ about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels.
Add the leeks to the pot, stirring often, until the leeks begin to soften ~ about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for 1 minute.
Add the Arborio and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the wine and stir constantly until most of the wine is absorbed.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add 1 cup of broth, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed. Repeat this one cup at a time with the remaining broth. It takes about 5 minutes per cup to absorb into the risotto. After the last cup is absorbed, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat. Add the butter and cheese, stirring until melted. Return the pancetta back to the pot and scoop the roasted squash into the pot. Stir to combine.
Serve!
Keywords: Roasted Squash Risotto, Risotto with Pancetta, Squash Risotto
