Giada De Laurentiis Butternut Squash And Vanilla Risotto Food

FARRO RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the farro and 4 cups of water. Soak for 30 minutes and drain well.
• Heat the broth in a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the drained farro and cook, stirring constantly until toasted, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir constantly until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the hot broth and stir constantly until completely absorbed. Continue adding the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the farro is creamy and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the currants, pine nuts, feta cheese, and the remaining salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the pine nuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

BEET RISOTTO

Steps:

• Place a small braiser or medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil to the hot pan and melt. Add the shallot, fennel, beet and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and the vegetables are beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat the in butter and oil mixture and toast slightly, about 3 more minutes. Deglaze with the sherry vinegar and season with the remaining salt. Begin adding the broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring often. Cook, stirring, after each addition until the broth is almost completely absorbed, continuing with the remaining broth until the risotto is creamy, cooked through and still moves slightly when spooned onto a plate. This will take about 20 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until melted. Serve with crumbled gorgonzola on top.

BAKED SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the squash and steam over medium heat until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the squash to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon half of the squash evenly over the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the pesto all over the squash in the dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the squash. Repeat layering with the remaining squash, pesto, and cheese. Using a skewer, swirl the pesto decoratively into the squash. Dot the top with butter and bake until the gratin is heated through and golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH FONTINA CHEESE CROSTINI

Steps:

• In an 8-quart stockpot, add the butter and oil and melt together over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the sage. Continue to boil until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat.
• For the crostini: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sage. Sprinkle the cheese on top and season with salt, to taste. Bake until the cheese has melted and the bread is light golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the cheese crostini.
• Cook's Note: The cooked vegetable mixture can also be pureed (after cooling for about 5 minutes) by ladling, in batches, into a food processor or blender and blended until smooth.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND VANILLA RISOTTO

Steps:

• In a large pot:.
• Simmer broth and vanilla.
• Add squash and simmer until tender (about 5 minutes).
• Remove squash and cover to keep warm, keep broth on low heat.
• In a separate pan:.
• Melt 2 tbsp butter and add onions. Cook onions until transparent, do not caramelize.
• Add rice and toast for about 3 minutes, making sure to coat with butter/onions.
• When rice is toasted, add white wine and stir until almost evaporated.
• Add 1/2 cup of broth, stir until absorbed.
• Repeat last step until all the broth is gone and the rice is creamy (will take about 20 minutes).
• When rice is creamy, stir in squash, parmesan cheese, and last tablespoon of butter.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

PUMPKIN AND GOAT CHEESE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Whisk together the broth and the pumpkin in a heavy medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low to keep the pumpkin broth warm.
• Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel with a slotted spoon to drain.
• Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until almost tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the thyme. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to absorb before adding the next. Cook until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite, and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes, adding additional warm broth by 1/4 cupfuls if risotto is dry. Mix in the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from the heat. Add more salt to taste.
• Divide the risotto among 6 shallow bowls. Sprinkle each with the bacon, goat cheese and remaining parsley and serve.