Gingery Squash Risotto

Butternut squash? For fall? Groundbreaking.

This year, I’m trying to find new ways to enjoy winter squash. Maybe I’m jaded from the frustration that has accumulated over the years I’ve spent trying to peel and neatly dice cubes of raw squash, a nearly impossible task, or maybe it’s because winter squash, in the wrong hands (even sometimes my own) can strike a monotone of bland sweetness.

This risotto is helping me change my mind. Pairing squash with generous amounts of fresh ginger, warm spices, and citrus not only prevents blandness, but makes each bite sparkle.  

Purists may scoff at calling this risotto, due to the nontraditional flavoring, but the technique is the same. Whatever you call it, this is a great way to enjoy winter squash in a versatile dish that’s equally suitable for a holiday entrée or a cozy dinner at home. Butternut, honeynut, or other firm-fleshed winter squash can be used interchangeably. Risotto typically benefits from the addition of homemade stock, but the ginger is so flavorful that you can get away with just water, or water and a spoonful of Better Than Bouillon.

Gingery Squash Risotto

• 1 pound winter squash

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 large shallot, diced

• 4” chunk of ginger, peeled and grated on fine holes of box grater

• 1 cup arborio or carnaroli rice

• ½ cup dry white wine (optional)

• 1 liter vegetable broth or water

• 1 lemon, zested 

To prepare the squash: Prick all over with a fork, then put on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off and let cool completely in the oven. Scoop out the flesh and set aside.

For the risotto: Melt butter over medium-low heat, then add shallot, ginger, and a pinch of salt and cook until the shallots are soft, about seven minutes.

Turn heat to medium, add rice, and stir until coated. Let it cook this way for about a minute, then add the white wine and stir briskly until the wine evaporates. Stir in squash puree.

Begin adding broth. I break with tradition and don’t think you need to heat it up, and I like to add it in larger additions than the typically prescribed ladleful. Try adding it by the generous cupful, stirring after each addition. Check to stir every 1-3 minutes; with more liquid in the pot, it doesn’t need to be stirred constantly. Don’t let the rice stick to the bottom. Continue adding liquid and stirring until the liter is gone.

The final texture is a matter of personal preference: some like the rice more al dente, and others prefer it completely creamy. Add more liquid as needed to achieve the desired texture.

I have access to a wonderful local cheese called Hexen Truffel, made by Jones Family Farm in Herkimer, New York. It’s a rich, parmesan-like-but-creamier, semi-aged cheese covered in nubs of black pepper. It’s great with pasta, eggs, pizzas, and salads, but it’s particularly excellent in risotto, where it melts beautifully and adds quite a bit of heat from the pepper. Here, I grated about half the knob over the risotto and stirred it in at the very end, reserving a small pile of shavings to scatter on top of each bowl.

Sub parmesan here and add black pepper to taste in the absence of Hexen Truffel.

Add the lemon zest and the juice of the zested lemon. Taste for salt and add more cheese and/or salt to adjust. The need for salt will radically depend on the saltiness of your broth.

If you have leftovers, make arancini the next day!