Now, for a bit of fine print (sorry, I feel compelled to share the dirty details with you so as to avoid disappointment later on).  While the prep time in this particular recipe is what I would call minimal, risotto itself isn’t a low-maintenance type of dish.  In other words, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe if you’re exhausted after a long work day and in a ravenous state.  When it comes to risotto, you’ll need patience, and patience is hard to come by when you’re about to chew your own arm off.

The long and the short is, you’ll have to spend some time slaving away at the stove.  But all is not lost!  If you’re serving risotto at a dinner party, just invite your guests to come stand by the stove and keep you company in the kitchen.  They can make sure your glass of wine (or apple cider or Yoo-Hoo  or what-have-you) is topped off while you stir.  They’ll be astounded by your gourmet skills and endebted to you for life!

Another plus, all that stirring is bound to fry at least a third of the calories contained in a serving of risotto.  I think.  At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH BACON & SAGE
Serves:  4 as a main course, or 6 as a starter
Source:  finecooking.com

1 qt. low sodium chicken broth (more if needed)
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 T. olive oil
10 fresh sage leaves
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds
2 medium shallots, minced
2 c. butternut squash, peeled and 1/4″ dice (butternut squash is on sale for .39/lb!)
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (BelGioios0 cheeses are on sale all month)

Combine the chicken broth and wine in a small saucepan and set over medium heat.  In a medium (3 qt.) saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sage leaves and fry, turning once, until they’ve turned dark green in most places, about 1 minute total.  Don’t brown them.  With a fork, transfer leaves to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Put the bacon in the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer the bacon to the plate with the sage.

Add the shallots to the saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened, about 1 minute.  Add the squash and rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Ladle enough of the hot broth mixture to just cover the rice.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the broth is mostly absorbed.  Add another ladleful of broth and continue cooking, stirring, and adding more ladlefuls of broth as the previous additions are absorbed, until the rice is tender with just a slightly toothsome quality, about 25 minutes.  As the risotto cooks, adjust the heat so that it bubbles gently.  The broth mixture needn’t be boiling; it should just be hot.  If you use all the broth and wine before the rice gets tender, use more broth but not more wine.

Set aside the nicest looking sage leaves as a garnish (1 leaf per serving).  Crumble half of the bacon and the remaining sage leaves into the risotto.  Stir in the Parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Crumble the remaining bacon over each serving and garnish with a sage leaf.  Serve immediately.

I’m practically falling all over myself to share this recipe with you today; not only is it extremely thrifty, but it’s the absolute epitome of fall comfort food: roasted butternut squash, tender pasta, earthy fresh sage, and a hefty helping of Parmesan cheese, wow. I’m in love!

I’ll tell you what, those DamKids were skeptical when they saw the sheet pan packed with cubes of gorgeous, golden squash. But as usual, my girls stepped up to the plate (so to speak) and gobbled up the finished product. Who could resist? The squash breaks down just slightly; its starches and the Parmesan thicken the sauce in a way that’s almost similar to a good mac n’ cheese.

No Thank You Boy ate around the squash and was not exactly doing cartwheels over this meal. A foregone conclusion, of course. I don’t even bother getting my knickers in a twist over his dining habits any more.

I’m of the opinion that this dish would make an outstanding first course at any autumn dinner party…it would also be lovely topped with toasted breadcrumbs, baked for a few minutes, and served as a side dish.

Or, you can eat it for breakfast like I did.

Happy Wednesday!

CAVATAPPI WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Serves: 4 as a main course

Adapted from epicurious.com

• 1 pound cavatappi pasta (DaVinci Shortcuts are on sale, look for the ‘twists’)
• 1 – 2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ½” pieces (on sale)
• 3 T. olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 c. chicken broth (plus additional to thin if necessary)
• 1 t. chopped fresh sage, plus additional for garnish if desired
• ½ t. salt
• 3 T. butter, cut into cubes (I didn’t bother using this)
• 1 c. finely grated Parmesan, plus additional for serving

Preheat the oven to 450. In a large bowl, toss the cubed squash with olive oil to coat (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons or so). Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Spread squash on a sheet pan with sides; roast squash for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and stir, continue to cook for another 5 -10 minutes or until squash is tender and beginning to brown in spots. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions on package until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta; rinse lightly, and drain again. Return the pasta to the pot.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic until pale golden, about a minute. Add the chicken broth, sage, roasted squash, and salt and simmer for five minutes or so. Add the cubed butter and stir until incorporated.

Add the squash mixture and the Parmesan cheese to the pasta; stir to combine season with salt and pepper to taste. If mixture seems dry, add the reserved pasta water (or additional chicken broth). Serve in shallow pasta bowls; pass additional cheese at the table.