Risotto.

MMM.

That word conjures so many thoughts. I instantly think of all the amazing risottos I’ve had at restaurants.

That’s right. At restaurants. Because until now, I’ve always watched chefs make risotto and thought, fussy, time consuming, so easy to mess up.

And then. I found this little gem on Martha Stewart. Instead of standing over the stove and slowly adding liquid, everything goes in a pot and into the oven! This was itty bitty city kitchen style risotto.

And butternut squash is in season right now, so this is the perfect way to use that yummy fall vegetable!

Martha’s recipe uses kale and thyme, but I tweaked it slightly:

• 1 shallot, diced,
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1.5 cups arborio rice
• white wine
• 1 butternut squash
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a fairly large (all of the ingredients are going in it) oven-safe pot, drizzle some olive oil and add the shallots and the garlic.

When the shallot has softened, add the rice. Cook for 3-5 minutes to toast, stirring constantly.

When the rice is toasted, add in about a half cup of white wine. Season the rice with salt and pepper and let cook until the wine is reduced.

Meanwhile, peel and dice your butternut squash

The dump the squash and the vegetable stock into the pot and give it a good stir.

Bake, covered, for about 25-30 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Dish out into big bowls and top with parmesan cheese.

Oven risotto? Life changing.