We love vegetarian meals. Rice isn’t something we should eat all the time for a wide range of reasons, but there nothing like a REAL risotto with Arborio rice. Strictly speaking this dish isn’t vegetarian since a homemade broth is essential to the flavor. The broth also adds electrolytes and helps cushion the onslaught of carbs the rice throws at us.

This meal takes time to do it right, but it is easy. Just get a glass of wine and have a nice conversation.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (or other sweet squash variety)
5-7 cups of broth (read our article about how and why to make your own )
Olive oil
Salt
2 C diced onion, leek or shallot (shallots will be sweeter, leeks have a mild unique flavor. Try both?)
2 C short grain rice (Arborio). This will not work with a long grain or brown rice
1 C white wine – we used a Minnesota mead (honey wine) that gave a great sweetness to the dish
8-12 oz dried mushrooms – rehydrate in a cup or so of hot water, then slice.
3 T butter

Instructions

Peel the squash then cut it in half and discard the seeds. Thinly slice and toss with melted butter to coat. Roast the slices on a baking sheet in a 425 oven until tender. Set aside and keep warm.
Bring the broth to a simmer in a stockpot; keep warm on the stove.
Heat about 1/3 c. olive oil in a large pan and slowly sweat the onion (or leek/shallot) with ½ t. salt until onions are softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add ½ c. water and continue to cook until water is gone, another 5 minutes. Add rice and stir for about 3 minutes, until rice is coated with oil and clicks when it stirs around the pan. Pour in the wine (or mead) and stir until mostly absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushroom slices.
Pour the mushroom water through a strainer onto the rice and stir continually until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Then pour about 1 cup broth on the rice and stir until mostly absorbed. Continue adding broth and stirring until rice is cooked – about 15 minutes.
When the rice is al dente (cooked through, but still with a bit of a bite. Neither mushy nor crunchy), remove from the heat and stir in another ½ t. salt and 3 T butter. Serve topped with squash slices.
Enjoy!