What's For Dinner: Baked Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Risotto is perfect comfort food for a chilly autumn evening. Eating fireside optional. 

I am not the biggest fan of daylight saving time. Although commonly blamed on farmers, DST actually comes from Germany, where it was enacted during World War I to reduce the use of artificial lights and save fuel for the war effort. President Woodrow Wilson signed a seven-month daylight saving time (called "fast time") period into law in 1918, though it was later abolished by Congress after the war ended. President Franklin Roosevelt instituted year-round DST during World War II. After the war was over, DST formally ended in September 1945, though many states east of the Mississippi River kept summer daylight saving time. In the mid-1960s, daylight saving time was standardized so that every state that observed DST would start and end on the same date. These days, most states (except for Arizona and Hawaii) observe daylight saving time. Officially, daylight saving time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, with the time changes taking place at 2:00 a.m. local time.

Oh, and long story short, the energy savings is minimal at best.

All that to say I'd much rather it be dark in the morning than dark at 4:30 p.m. It makes for a rather long winter when you live at a latitude of 45°N.

When it's cold and dark out, there's nothing I like better than some comforting food for dinner, and this butternut squash risotto really hits the spot. Even better is that the oven does the hard work for you, so there's no endless standing and stirring at the stove.

Admittedly, I am not the greatest fan of raw kale, but it cooks up wonderfully tender in this dish. Add in a generous amount of Parmesan, and you have a creamy and comforting autumnal dish for dinner.

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto (printer-friendly version)
makes 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine (Pinot Gris; Sauvignon Blanc)
1 medium butternut squash (1 1/2 to 2 pounds), peeled and diced medium (about 4 cups)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 bunch kale, tough stems removed, cut or torn into bite-size shreds
1 small sprig rosemary
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan
freshly-shaved Parmesan, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until opaque, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add the squash and vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the kale and add the sprig of rosemary.
5. Cover and transfer the Dutch oven to the oven. Bake until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove the rosemary sprig and stir in the grated Parmesan.
6. Garnish each serving with freshly-shaved Parmesan.

(adapted from this recipe from Everyday Food)