Butternut Squash and Vanilla Bean Risotto

A well prepared Risotto is the most intense and flavorful dish you may ever eat.

To most of my friends their Italian cooking revolves around various Parmigiana, Francese and Marsala dishes. These popular dishes are crowd pleasers but how about something new and different?

This has lead me to a traditional Italian dish that dates back to the Late Middle Ages….. RISOTTO.

Rice (riso) is usually not commonly associated to Italian cooking but that could not be further from the truth. Italy is the leading producer of short-grain rice in Europe. The majority of the rice is grown in the famous Po valley. In the Italian regions of Lomardy, Piedmonte and Veneto, risotto is a more common first course than pasta for dinner.

Is Risotto difficult to make?

Risotto is easy to make but the two main secrets is patience and stirring, lot’s of stirring. A great red wine, say a Barolo, will help you with the patience part and so will listening to Bocelli in the background. Classic risotto begins by cooking a combination of three diced vegetables like onion/shallot, celery, carrot or garlic. This combination in Italy is called soffritto. Cook these vegetables till soft but do not brown them.

Next you stir in the unwashed rice (don’t worry they are not dirty) into the soffritto and LIGHTLY cook until the rice is well coated with the oil,butter and soffritto mixture. Once again DO NOT BROWN THE RICE OR VEGETABLES.

Once everything is well coated and hot you can add the wine and broth. The wine should be at room temperature and the broth must be very warm in order for the rice to fully absorb the flavor and to create the signature creamy sauce. The broth will be added at 1/2 cup increments (this is where all the stirring begins) saving a 1/2 cup of broth after you remove the risotto from the heat. Once off the heat you add the remaining broth and cheese. This will ensure the rice will have a velvety, smooth and slightly fluid character. Serve risotto as soon as it is finished cooking.  Once you start cooking risotto you can not leave it unattended. It must be constantly watched over. That’s basically it.

I would recommend picking up the cookbook, “Risotto Risotti” by Judith Barrett from Macmillan (ISBN 0-02-860357-5). This book is easy to understand and has over 100 delicious recipes. It is the cornerstone to my cooking.

Where do you buy RISOTTO RICE on Staten Island?

I purchase my rice from local Italian Salumeria’s like A & C on Manor Road or from Met Food Supermarket on Hylan or Victory Boulevard. I have used the Colavita brand and it’s perfect.The quality of the rice does make a difference. Try to get imported Italian superfino Arborio rice. This is the most common risotto rice you will fine. The texture and creamy quality of this rice is extraordinary. I’m sure you can fine risotto rice in many supermarkets but most are usually from Texas or California.

A well prepared risotto is the most rich and flavorful dish you may ever eat. Risotto does require gentle care and some time to prepare but don’t shy away from it. You can do this with a little patience. The preparation of risotto is an expression of love. Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make and most rewarding. I find that risotto is very versatile and each variation of the dish is synonymous with the regions of Italy. From the classic Risotto alla Milanese to Risi e Bisi (rice and peas) of Veneto.

Just like any fine works of art or music, great recipes transcend time and tell a story about a culture.

What follows is a wonderful Autumn risotto dish. I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know how it comes out or if you have any questions.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Bean Risotto

(Risotto alla Zucca)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 cups winter squash ( butternut, acorn, pumpkin, etc…) peeled, seeded and diced

3/4 cup finely chopped oinion

1 3/4 cups of Arborio rice

1/2 cup Dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Orvieto)

6 cups vegetable broth, simmering

1 fresh vanilla bean

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 Tbsp finely chopped sage

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Open the wine and keep it at room temperature and pour the vegetable broth into a pot under medium low heat and simmer. Slice the vanilla bean to expose the beans. Scrap out the beans with a teaspoon and add it to the broth. Also added the vanilla been shell to the broth.

Slowly melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium low heat. Add squash and onion (this is the soffritto). Saute gently for 5 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. DO NOT BROWN.

Add the unwashed rice and cook for about 6 – 8 minutes stirring constantly until the rice looks opaque. DO NOT BROWN RICE OR VEGETABLES. Pour in the wine and simmer until it’s all evaporated.

Remove the vanilla bean shells. Now carefully add 1/2 cup of broth at a time. Add each 1/2 cup until the prior 1/2 cup has been absorbed by the rice. STIR CONSTANTLY! This should take about 20 to 30 minutes. Remember to save a 1/2 cup for later. The aroma at this point is absolutely intoxicating. The rice should begin to look creamy and wavy, not stiff, fluffy, dry or soupy.

Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano, sage, parsley and the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Let the risotto stand for a minute or two. Serve immediately with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table. My mouth is watering and my stomach is growling. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Thanks for reading.

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Okay after hearing from some of you about not having heavy cream in my great grandmother’s fettuccine Alfredo recipe I have another to share. Though if you read my post you would understand that the true AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FETTUCCINE ALFREDO DOES NOT USE HEAVY CREAM. Please click the link to the original post http://statenislandfoodandwine.com/2009/10/26/fettuccine-alfredo/

I’m not saying one is better than the other just that it was my great grandmother’s recipe which was pretty true to the original recipe. You be the judge and let me know what you think.

So here you go…

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

8 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 pint heavy cream

1 lb. fresh fettuccine

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

freshly ground pepper

freshly ground nutmeg

Set water to boil in a pot for the pasta. Salt the water.

Melt the butter in a large saute’ pan over low heat.  Once the butter is melted add the cream an let it get warm. Stir gently. DO NOT BOIL!

Cook the pasta in the boiling water to al dente. Once cooked drain the pasta and mix throughly with the butter and cream in the saute pan over low heat. Stir gently and add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss until sauce thickens slightly. Season with pepper and nutmeg.

Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Mangia!

Thanks for reading.

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Vincenza, a co-worker of my wife, asked if I knew of a low fat Fettuccine Alfredo recipe but using Cannellini beans. Well I do and although this might be healthier version the original still reigns supreme in my book. You be the judge and please let me know what you think.

Did you ever wonder who was the first person to make Fettuccine Alfredo? I’ll give you a hint. He is Italian and his first name is Alfredo.

Fettucine Alfredo sounds like a name straight out of the GODFATHER. Just picture it below…

Fettucine Alfredo: Someday – and that day may never come – I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. But until that day, accept this justice as gift on my daughter’s wedding day.

Okay I’m not Mario Puzo but it works….I think.

Anyway Fettuccine Alfedo is actually named after Alfredo Di Lelio from Rome. He was a chef in a small restaurant called Il Vero Alfredo and the story goes like this…

Alfredo’s wife, Ines, was pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. Ines lost her appetite and she had no interest in food. It turned her stomach. Alfredo was determined to find something she could eat. He started with a very basic pasta dish that you and I have eaten before called “Pasta Al Burro” (pasta in a butter sauce). Alfredo was happy to see her eat but it was not hearty enough for her. He doubled and then tripled the amount of butter and added Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The original name was called “Triplo Burro“. Ines loved this dish so much she insisted that he put it on his resturants menu. This is just the beginning…

Movie Stars + Fettuccine Alfredo = FAMOUS!

In 1927, two famous actors of the time Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were on their honeymoon and stumbled upon Alfredo’s restaurant, Il Vero Alfredo. Fairbanks and Pickford loved the new dish, Fettuccune Alfredo. They never had anything like it. Before you know it the new dish was the rave of all the actors like Jimmy Stewart and mia bella donna Sophia Loren. Soon enough the reporters following the actors began to write about this famous new dish all around the world.

Many variations exist since it’s inception. The most well known in America is Macaroni and cheese.

The first recipe below was handed down from my great Italian grandmother and this is not low fat. This dish is a comfort food and very simple to make. The second recipe is the low fat version using Cannellini beans. I hope you enjoy both. Experiment and let me know how they turn out for you. Ciao!

Nonna’s Fettuccine Alfredo (NOT LOW FAT!)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

8 Tbsp. soften, unsalted butter,cut into tablespoons, (one stick at room tempeture)

1 lb. fresh fettuccine

1 cup freshly grated parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 Tbsp. salt

freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 Tbsp. of salt. Cook the fettuccine until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, and save 1/4 cup of the pasta water and place it in a large warm bowl with the fettuccine. Add the butter, Parimigiano and toss until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve pronto!

Low Fat Fettuccine Alfredo with Cannellini Beans (LOW FAT)

Ingredients

1 lb. fettuccine

15 ounces cannellini beans — rinsed and drained

1/3 cup skim milk

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese — or romano cheese

2 cups broccoli — thinly sliced or any vegetable.

1 Tbsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. fresh black pepper

Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 Tbsp. of salt. Cook the fettuccine until al dente. Drain, and set aside.

Heat a fry pan under medium-low heat. Combine the beans with milk and blend until smooth (in a blender or food processor). Transfer the bean and milk mixture to the warm fry pan. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Pour over the fettuccine and serve.

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