Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash

We are smack in the middle of the season that makes the ingredients in this 5-star dish shine. This risotto is inherently creamy before the parmesan is even added.  It is a recipe originally from Ina Garten, but I modified it to make it Dairy Free.

Ingredients

1 Butternut Squash (about 2 lbs.)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
6 cups chicken stock
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) Earth Balance
2 ounces pancetta, diced (4 slices of crumbled bacon is tasty as well)
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice (about 10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (offered on the side for your non dairy free guests)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heating to simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total.

Off the heat add the roasted squash cubes and mix well.  I served this along side of a bowl of parmesan cheese.  This allowed the non dairy free guests to add a bit of cheese if they wanted, more importantly it kept the dish dairy free so that any leftovers would be safe for me to devour the next day!