Butternut Squash Risotto with Shrimp

From Bon Appetit, November 2009 Issue

Overall Rating: 5 stars
Tasty Factor: 5 stars
Ease Factor: 5 stars
Food Value Factor: 4.5
Husband Factor: 5

Wow! This risotto is del-i-cious! And much easier than the typical risotto because you don’t have to keep adding liquid – it all goes in together in the beginning.
1) I used Applegate Farms Organic Uncured Sunday Bacon with no nitrites added. It’s hardwood smoked and delicious and doesn’t use preservatives (like nitrates). I used the bacon instead of pancetta because it’s something I regularly buy and is not as expensive. For this dish, there’s not a big difference, so bacon works just fine.
2) The cream makes a difference at the end – you can use less but I don’t recommend skipping it!
3) If you haven’t made risotto before, this is a nice recipe to make it for the first time. If you make risotto often you’ll wonder why it’s been so time-consuming!

4-6 servings

40 minutes

Recipe by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 3 ounces pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped – I used regular bacon (no nitrates!)
• 1 pound large uncooked deveined peeled shrimp
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 cup short-grain rice (such as arborio or carnaroli)
• 4 cups vegetable broth, heated in microwave
• 1 1-pound package peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups) -  buy the skinned, wrapped squash and then chop it up
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Preparation

Sauté pancetta / bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until fat renders and pancetta is browned and almost crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to medium bowl. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper; add to saucepan. Sauté until browned and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Add to bowl with pancetta. Add oil to same saucepan, then onion and garlic; cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add hot broth; increase heat and bring to boil. Add squash and sage; reduce heat to medium and simmer until rice is tender but still firm to bite and mixture is creamy, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream, shrimp, and pancetta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large shallow bowl.

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