Thursday, October 9, 2008

BB: Butternut Squash Risotto a la F. Krueger

The Barefoot Bloggers are kicking off the month of October with Butternut Squash Risotto, a lovely fall dish, chosen by Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook. With just a hint of saffron and an added touch of pancetta (or bacon), it is a hearty meal in itself. I love making risotto because of all the ways you can dress it up, and roasted squash is delicious mixed with the finished product.

Here’s a tip when preparing the butternut squash for this or any dish:

First, get into your best Freddy Krueger frame-of-mind.

Next, after you wash the squash, take a knife and stab poke it all over so the steam can escape. (You may drop the FK persona at this point.)

Place the squash directly on the rack in a 350°F oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.

Let cool until you can handle the squash. Then trim the ends, cut in half, remove the seeds, and slice or chop as desired.

The quick baking softens the outer layer of flesh and skin, making it much, much easier to cut and saving you from potential knife slips and loss of digits.

Be sure and visit the Barefoot Bloggers to see each individual rendition of this recipe, and stay tuned for more delicious treats in the coming weeks.

9 comments:

NKP said...

Yay risotto! Glad yours turned out so well. Thanks for the peeling tip. I have been cutting it into two - bulby and stemmy parts - and using a vegetable peeler, a bit of a pain as I have to go over it twice.

Megan said...

I actually didn't have any trouble peeling it - it was easier than I thought it would be. As for cutting it? I made one of the kids do it!!

Oooh - Freddy Krueger, there's a name to scare you!!

chocolatechic said...

I peeled mine, chopped it and roasted it.

The hardest part for me was scraping out the seeds....ewwwwww.


Looks great.

Jodie said...

haha! I'm so glad I found peeled, cubed squash! That's my least favorite thing to cook because of that!

Anonymous said...

This was sooooo good. I didn't have any saffron, but I'll have to add some next time.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip! I actually took a picture (but didn't post it) of the mess I made peeling the stupid squash! I LOVE squash but really dislike peeling it.
~Cat

Prudy said...

Thanks for the tip. I usually micro mine for a few minutes and then I can slice it. YOur risotto looks lovely lovely lovely.

Heather B said...

Thanks for the tip. I usually stick it in the microwave for a few minutes. I love your risotto! It looks so delicious!

Suzie said...

Thanks for the advice - the peeling made me think my knives needed sharpening. Yummy meal wasn't it?