Risotto di Zucca, Porri, e Vongole - Risotto with Butternut Squash, Leeks, and Clams


The secret of good Italian home cooking is in the ingredients. No one knows this better than the godmother of Italian cooking in America—Marcella Hazan. She too has many secrets and shared this one "Do not serve any risotto mounded up in the center of the plate. Spread it thin and evenly over the whole plate."

SERVES 4

1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeds and strings removed, 
   and squash cut into dice no larger than 1/2"
18 live littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 medium leeks, trimmed, washed, halved lengthwise, 
   then cut crosswise into very thin slices
2 tbsp. scallions, white part only, cut into very thin rounds
Fine sea salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram, or 1/2 tbsp. dried marjoram
1 cup Italian risotto rice, such as carnaroli, vialone, nano, 
   baldo, or arborio
1 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. whole green peppercorns
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
1. Turn oven on to 350°. Lay the diced squash in a baking dish that can contain it all without overlapping. Pour in 1/2 cup water and put dish in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes. When cool, drain, then set aside.
2. Pour 1/3 cup water into a 12" sauté pan, put in clams, cover, and turn on heat to high. Look in on clams after 1 minute, stirring them around. As soon as they unclench their shells, transfer them to a bowl. Keep heat going under pan, moving quickly to retrieve any clam that has opened up. Line a strainer with a paper towel and set it over a small bowl. Pour pan juices and any juice in bowl of clams through the strainer. Detach clam meat from shells and put it in bowl with the filtered juice. Steep clam meat for 15–20 minutes, then retrieve it with a slotted spoon and cut each clam in half. Reserve clam juice and cut-up clams separately.
3. Pour 2 quarts of water into a saucepan and bring it to a steady simmer. Pour oil into a heavy 4–6-quart saucepan, add leeks and scallions, and turn on heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring from time to time, until leeks and scallions are very pale gold. Add half the squash together with some salt and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, turning it from time to time. Add marjoram and stir all the ingredients together. Add rice, turning it to coat well. Add half the wine, steadily stir the rice, and when all the wine has bubbled away, add the remaining half. Continue stirring to keep rice moving away from bottom and sides of pan.
4. Pour clam juices into the risotto. Continue to stir until all the liquid has evaporated, then add a ladleful or two of the simmering water. Stir constantly, adding simmering water by the ladleful whenever the rice begins to dry out, threatening to stick to the pan. In about 15 minutes, when the rice is still hard and chalky to the bite, stir in the remaining squash. Continue to cook, stirring steadily and replenishing the water when necessary, until rice has lost its chalky consistency and is tender, but still firm, to the bite. Do not let rice dry out completely when you are near the end, keeping its final consistency loose and flowing.
5. Add the reserved cut-up clams, stirring them quickly into the risotto. Add green peppercorns and grated pecorino. Remove pan from heat and stir vigorously. Taste and correct for seasoning. Serve at once.

Risotto Con Fungi - Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

When most people think about Italian food, pasta usually comes to mind, but in Northern Italy risotto is very popular. In fact to truely know Northern Italian cuisine you have to be familiar with risotto.

Unfortunately for me, my husband will not eat anything that includes mushrooms, so it's not often when I make this wonderful risotto dish.

2 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup finely chopped white onion

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 oz. dry porcini mushrooms
about
6-7 cups vegetable broth

1 cup red wine like Merlot

1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Place the mushrooms in lukewarm water and let them soak for about 20 minutes or until soft.
 When soft remove them and squeeze all the excess water out. The chop them into smaller pieces or leave them bigger according to your taste and set them aside. 

In a large non stick pan cook the onions in 2 tbsp. butter until they're translucent being careful not to brown them. Add a little water if they get too dry. 
When the onions are ready add the rice, combine it well with the onions and butter, and toast it for about 2-3 minutes at high heat.
Then add the mushrooms and mix in for a few seconds. 

Add 1 cup of wine and mix well until it evaporates. Use a good full bodied red wine like Cabernet.

Add about 2 cups vegetable broth and reduce the heat to medium. Mix it frequently. 
Continue adding broth in the same quantity mixing frequently. Continue doing so until the rice is nearly cooked. This will take practice since every rice cooks differently.

When the rice is almost cooked, it should be 15-20 minutes according to package direction, add 1 Tbsp of butter, the parsley and the Parmesan.
Remove from the stove, cover the pan with the lid and let it stand for few minutes. 

Serve the rice and accompanied it with extra Parmesan for the topping.

Butternut Squash Risotto

I find risotto to be a comfort food. Even if you didn't grow up with it and find mac and cheese to be your favorite comfort food, there's just something about risotto.

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds)
1 small onion, peeled & finely diced
2 + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

finely sliced fresh sage leaves
freshly grated parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. place squash on baking sheet and toss pieces with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes

In a heavy saucepan or dutch oven heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the rice and stir to coat in the onion and oil, cooking it for a few minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is almost absorbed. Begin to add broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continually until the rice has cooked for 10 minutes. Add the squash, stir, and continue to add broth, stirring until each addition has been absorbed until the rice is tender but still slightly firm to the bite. Stir in the butter and 1/3 cup of the grated cheese.

Garnish with chopped sage and grated cheese.