Northwest Wine - Online Magazine
Butternut Squash, Rosemary and Blue Cheese Risotto
This dish dances in the mouth with flavors. Blue cheese adds depth. Rosemary adds a resinous zing and the squash provides the vegetable flavors and nuance. This dish would go great with a simple salad of butter lettuce, radicchio, roasted pears, and toasted walnuts. Makes 4 servings.
Here's what you do:
1) Bring 7 cups broth to boil in large saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low.
2) Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add diced squash and 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary; sauté 4 minutes to coat with butter. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 7 cups hot broth; bring to boil.
3) Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy and slightly soupy, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed to maintain consistency and stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Stir in spinach, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4) Transfer risotto to large bowl. Sprinkle with blue cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and serve. If you don't have rosemary, use sage.
Source: Bon Appétit - February 2005
Wine Pairings
Try a Pinot Noir or Pinot gris, though the blue cheese can carry some bigger reds such as a Zinfandel. The trick here is to provide a synergy between the dish and the wine. Neither one should shout louder than the other.
Ingredient List
Here's what you need:
7 cups (or more) low-salt vegetable broth
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion
1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided (sage works well too)
2 cups arborio rice (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
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