Why is it that food we cook in the Fall tends to smell better than food we cook at any other time of the year?
Fall has just begun, but those peanut butter pumpkin brownies smelled so scrumptious two days ago and the butternut squash I roasted today smelled so freakin‘ fantastic. The smell even woke Kyle up, but in a good way. He walked out of the bedroom with messy hair, sheet marks on his body and said ‘what’s that smell?‘
and I said ‘It’s your dinner.‘
I knew as I roasted the squash this morning (and isn’t it a cute little squash? It was just a big ball, hardly bell shaped!) I wanted to stuff it with something… and something cheesy.
I love butternut squash risotto but didn’t feel like scooping out the squash and puree-ing it. Call me lazy! Instead I made a cheesy risotto to place inside the squash, and I made sure the squash was so tender you would be able to scoop it right out with your spoon.
I stopped by Scardello Artisan Cheese today and picked up a great aged cheddar called Fiscalini Bandaged Cheddar. (remember when I went there a few weeks ago?) It is covered in olive oil and aged 16 months. It has a great balance of buttery, grassy and savory flavors. Of course you could use any kind of cheddar in this risotto, but I think the more sharp the better, as it goes really well with the butternut squash.
(And even better with a nice Zinfandel or Chardonnay.)
Fiscalini Cheddar Risotto stuffed Butternut Squashyield: 4 portions
Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg
1/2 Onion, small dice
1 TBS Butter
2 cups Arborio Rice
4 cups Stock (chicken or vegetable)
Salt, Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Aged White Cheddar (like Fiscalini)
Red Pepper Flakes
1. Cut the butternut squash in half long ways, and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds and rub salt, pepper and nutmeg into the squash on both sides. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes on both sides. This can be done ahead of time.
2. Warm up your stock until very hot and keep warm on the side.
3. Cut up your onion and saute in the butter until translucent and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Use a large pot.
4. Add the arborio rice and stir for three minutes on low heat. Add two cups of the warm stock and let simmer until the liquid has been almost all absorbed, stirring constantly. Add another cup of stock and let simmer until absorbed. Add the last cup of stock, add your cream and seasonings. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the risotto is al dente (you must taste this to make sure its cooked all the way, it will take around 15 minutes and will absorb around 4 cups of stock)
5. Turn the heat to low, add your cheese and stir. I like to put a lid on the pot to let the cheese slowly melt. You have now made risotto!
6. Scoop the risotto into the squash and bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Turn the oven off and turn the broiler on high, placing the squash under the broiler until the cheese is browned and crispy (the cheese I used didn’t brown well.) Top with a red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Enjoy!
This was a fantastic Fall dinner. The squash was so tender and almost sweet, while the risotto was creamy and sharp. I topped mine with some red pepper flakes to give it the occasional heat, but Kyle’s will be topped with crispy bacon, of course.
