And another thing to add to the list of what makes Fall so awesome- squash. Yum, yum, yum! Squash soup, stuffed squash (try saying that 10 times fast) and squash fries. And now this Leek and Acorn Squash Risotto. The taste of Fall- quite literally- I added a lot of cinnamon and nutmeg to mine and my house ended up smelling very much like cinnamon sticks and pumpkin pie 🙂
Leek and Acorn Squash Risotto
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup white wine
paprika to taste
nutmeg to taste
cinnamon to taste
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Place halves downward on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Let cool. Remove the squash’s peel and mash the pulp (it’s ok if it’s a bit chunky).
Heat oil in a pot. Add leek and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add rice and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in wine and enough chicken broth until rice is covered. Cover with a lid and let the liquid absorb before adding in more chicken broth.Continue with this for the amount of time required to cook your rice. Stir in squash pulp. If needed, add in chicken broth until the desired consistency is reached. Add paprika, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. (I didn’t measure the amount of cinnamon and nutmeg I used, but the risotto had a nice nutmeg-y flavor when it was finished).