Butternut Squash Risotto

To serve four as a first course (or two hungry folks as the main course), you’ll need:

half a medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into half-inch cubes
1 chopped medium onion
2-3 tablespoons of butter, olive oil, or a combination of both
1 cup of arborio rice (or one of the other short-grained Italian rice varieties, such as carnaroli or vialone nano)
2-3 cups stock or water (chicken stock adds more flavor...even Italian cooks use bullion cubes)
sage (4-5 leaves if fresh, about a tablespoon of dried)
salt and pepper to taste
grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Cook the squash until it’s tender but not too soft by either microwaving it in a covered bowl with a tablespoon of water or steaming over a pan of boiling water. I almost always cook risotto using the microwave, but if that makes you squeamish, go ahead and do on the stove (and if this applies to you, I don’t need to tell you how to cook risotto).

In a nuke-proof bowl (pyrex or something similar), cook the onion with the fat for about a minute, maybe longer if your microwave is old and tired. Add the rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the rice takes on a sort of transparent quality.

Add some of the stock, the cooked squash, the sage if you’re using fresh, stir vigorously and continue cooking as detailed in the microwave risotto recipe. When the rice is done (and I like it with a little bit of bit and moist, but not soupy), stir in the dried sage, salt and pepper to taste, and enough grated Parmigiano so that you can taste it (okay, at least a cup).

Serve with more cheese and maybe some good olive oil for drizzling.