My life changed this week.
Joanne over at Week of Menus made an oven-baked butternut squash risotto inspired by an Ina Garten recipe. Oven-baked?! Risotto is one of my favorite dishes, but being tied to the stove for at least 30 minutes is not ideal especially with two toddlers. I was skeptical, but I had to try out this oven-bake method.
The other night I made parmesan risotto to accompany my maple-glazed pork tenderloin and braised endives. I threw everything into my trusty Dutch oven and popped it into the oven. I walked into the family room, turned off Nick Jr., and actually read a couple of books to the kids and played a board game with them! This was great! The kids didn’t get irritable from boredom and I wasn’t tearing my hair out trying to get dinner ready. And the best thing? The risotto was creamy, luscious perfection. It even elicited an “mmm” from my 22 month old.
The recipe I used is found below. If you want something a little more substantial and fancy, go to Week of Menus for her butternut squash version! Thanks Joanne for sharing your recipe!
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Oven Baked Parmesan Risotto
Serves 4-6
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine or sherry
5 cups chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 – Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 – Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan until hot.
3 – Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Add rice and stir until translucent.
4 – Add wine. Once absorbed, add 4 cups of the hot broth to the rice.
5 – Cover pot with a lid and place on the middle rack of the oven. Cook for about 45 minutes or until all the broth has been absorbed.
6 – Remove pot from the oven. Stir in the broth, butter, and parmesan until creamy. Serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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