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Roasted Acorn Squash Risotto

By The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

Picture of Roasted Acorn Squash Risotto This autumn-into-winter flavored rice dish is an elegant vegetarian offering that is gluten-free and dairy-free. Score some points.

Ingredients

1 medium acorn squash, halved, seeded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (dilute with water if it's too strong)
1 small onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free mild curry powder
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked
1 cup white wine (optional; replace with broth if alcohol-free)
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Options for garnish:
Chopped toasted pecans, slivered almonds or pine nuts
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired
Chopped fresh cranberries (shown)

Instructions

First- roast the acorn squash. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Roast the acorn squash by placing the two halves cut side up in a baking dish; add about two inches of hot water into the bottom of the dish. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Meanwhile- start your risotto.

Heat the broth in a separate sauce pan, and keep it warm. In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat, and sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the curry, nutmeg, and uncooked Arborio rice and stir well, until the rice is coated. Stir and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the wine and stir for a minute or two.

Pour in 1 cup of the hot broth, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently for 7-8 minutes. When most of the liquid is absorbed, add the remaining cups of broth 1 cup at a time, stirring and simmering until each cup of liquid is absorbed before adding the next one. (The whole process should take about 20-25 minutes; 22 minutes is my goal for al dente; if you cook risotto too long it may get gummy.

When the squash is done, remove it from the oven and using a spoon scoop out pieces and add them into the risotto- I like to do this along with the last cup of broth. Stir to combine. When the final cup of liquid is absorbed cover and set aside for a few moments before serving. Risotto likes to rest a bit. Warm up four serving bowls. Spoon the risotto into the bowls, and garnish with some chopped toasted pecans, pine nuts or chopped fresh cranberries.

Total Servings: 4