Butternut Squash Risotto With Spinach And Toasted Pine Nuts Recipe

How to make it

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• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add about 3½ cups squash in an even layer and cook without stirring until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and browned, about 5 minutes longer.
• Transfer squash to a bowl and set aside.
• Return the skillet to medium heat; add reserved squash fibers and seeds and any leftover diced squash. Cook, stirring frequently to break up fibers, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to large saucepan and add chicken broth and water; cover the saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain bare simmer.
• While the broth mixture is simmering, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the now-empty skillet.
• Swirl the oil around and add 4 ounces baby spinach and cook, covered, over medium heat, until the leaves begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Uncover and cook, stirring constantly, until fully wilted, about 30 seconds.
• Transfer the spinach to a mesh strainer; set aside.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in the now-empty skillet over medium heat; when foaming subsides, add onions, garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add rice to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.
• Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until fully absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, strain the hot broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Return strained broth to the saucepan and discard solids in the strainer; cover the saucepan and set over low heat to keep the broth hot.
• When the wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth and half of the reserved squash to the rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
• Stir in about ½ cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth 2 or 3 more times, until the rice is al dente.
• Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, Parmesan, sage, and nutmeg; squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach and gently fold it in, along with the remaining cooked squash.
• If you need to, add up to ¼ cup additional hot broth to loosen texture of risotto.
• Top individual servings of risotto with toasted pine nuts; serve immediately.
• NOTE: Don't skip the part where you simmer the squash fibers and seeds. You'll be missing something if you do; the fibers and seeds help infuse the broth with a lot of rich squash flavor. For the wine, I tend to use Pinot Grigio, but you can add whatever you want. Just make sure your wine is dry and not sweet -- otherwise, you kill the flavor of the vegetables.