Kabocha Squash Risotto With Mushrooms, Pancetta and Spinach

MY first risotto!! Not the first risotto I've ever made -- I've done MANY risotto recipes -- but this is the first risotto recipe I created myself! I'll admit this was loosely inspired by Michael Chiarello's pumpkin risotto, but only so much as the idea to roast and puree the pumpkin/squash and add that to finished risotto rice. But I can take credit for the addition of the mushrooms, pancetta and spinach, as was using kobacha squash in place of the pumpkin. I find that pumpkin, even when roasted, doesn't taste as good as you'd think it would and other winter squash are often sweeter.


I've been cooking up a storm with butternut and acorn squash this season (pre-blog), so I was eager to wander into lesser-known squash land for this one. I'd read that kabocha, also known as Japanese Pumpkin, is a very sweet squash with flesh that tastes like a cross between a sweet potato and an acorn squash. An accurate description! Simply pureed with a little olive oil and/or butter, this would make for a lovely mashed side dish in place of traditional potatoes. Next time, I'd puree maybe 2/3 of it, and dice the remaining for added texture. The mushrooms were a lovely compliment. The spinach worked but next time I might leave it out. I might also crumble crispy prosciutto bits on top instead of using pancetta but the idea is to have some saltiness to balance the sweetness of the squash.

Kabocha Squash Risotto with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Spinach

1 Kobacha or Butternut squash
1 med onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups Carnaroli or Arborio rice*
1 cup white wine
5 cups chicken broth or stock
2 oz pancetta, chopped, crisped in skillet, set aside
8 oz sliced mushrooms, sauteed until nicely browned, set aside
5-6oz baby spinach
1 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesano Reggiano
1-2 Tbs butter

serves 4

* I try to always use carnaroli - it has the best texture for risotto

1. Heat oven to 400. Carefully using a sharpened chef knife, cut the squash into quarters. You may need to use a small saucepan to "whack" your chef knife into the squash. (If using butternut, simply peel and cut in half). Place squash wedges on sheet pan and roast 1 hour until tender. Puree - add a little olive oil and/or chicken broth if needed. Set aside.

2. Put chicken broth in medium saucepan and heat to simmering.

3. In dutch oven, sautee onion until soft and translucent, but do not brown; 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute. Add rice, toast rice, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Do not skip the toasting the rice step - this develops flavor.

4. Add wine, cook until evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Start adding stock, 1-2 ladels-full at a time, stirring constantly (you can take short breaks to do other things but don't leave the kitchen - keep a careful eye on it and stir as often as you can) until absorbed. As liquid is absorbed, add more, continue until risotto is tender but still al dente, approx. 20 minutes in total. You may not need to add all the stock. Once the rice is done, do not add any more stock - this would make the risotto soupy.

5. Turn off heat. Add pancetta, mushrooms, squash puree, and baby spinach. Stir to combine and wilt the spinach. Add the cheese and butter, stirring vigorously. Serve immediately with additional grated cheese, if desired.