Butternut Squash Wheatberry Risotto
Posted on October 28th, 2009 by theapartmentkitchen
I’ve always loved whole grains. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fluffy white rice and all varieties of baked goods made with regular flour, but I’ve always had a thing for the nutty, chewy, hearty flavor of whole grains like farro, barley, and wheatberries. So a few years ago I started making “risotto style” dishes with other grains. For fall, nothing could be a better fit. Add other veggies or herbs to suit your whim, and this would be even better with a sprinkling of toasted pecans or almonds. Yum!
Butternut Squash Wheatberry Risotto
Served 4 as a side
Leftover Potential: Since this isn’t really risotto, it reheats well – not losing much of it’s texture in the process.
1 small butternut squash
olive oil, as needed
salt and pepper, as needed
1 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup wheatberries
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth, kept warm over low heat
1 Tbsp rosemary, chopped
2 tsp sage, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
1. Toss the cubed squash with the olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Spread into an even layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a 400 degree oven until lightly golden and tender, about 20-25 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until translucent, about 1 minute more.
4. Add the wheatberries and stir to heat through, about a minute. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the wine has mostly evaporated.
5. Add the chicken broth a ladleful at a time, stirring occasionally, until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth until it is all absorbed and the wheatberries are tender.
6. Stir in the cooked squash, rosemary, sage, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, finish with another knob of butter. Serve warm.
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Your recipe for making Butternut Squash Wheatberry Risotto looks good. I am salivating and can hardly wait to try this recipe. Just curious to know if I can enjoy red wine with it.
all i have to say is oats
wait a minute–where does the squash come in? tricky…
Bah! Thanks for catching that, Jamie – the rest of my instructions didn’t get copied over. I’ll fix it now!
Hampers: Of course you could – a pinot or something light would be nice. Or add something meatier to your risotto like mushrooms or sausage, and you’d have a perfect red wine pairing.
This looks great! I have a lot of squash on hand so this will be perfect