There are a variety of classic dishes served on Thanksgiving Day. This year, I have a hot take, and that is to serve a cheesy risotto dish in addition to — or instead of — the usual mac and cheese classic. I know this may seem risky for some of you mac and cheese lovers. If that’s the case, try bringing this dish as your offering to the Friendsgiving table and see what the consensus is. Nothing says thank you more sincerely than cheesy, salty, buttery, tasty lusciousness. The roasted honeynut squash melts gently into the risotto, transforming the creamy white hue into an aesthetically pleasing pumpkin-colored shade and leaving delicious pulpy bits of honeynut squash throughout. The pancetta nibs fit neatly into that empty spot in your core that yearns for salty meat, with just the right amount to satisfy that craving without weighing you down. Fontina is the only cheese I prefer to use when cooking risotto, with parmesan being a close second. Why? Because the fontina cheese melts flawlessly into the al dente risotto, offering rich, nutty undertones that, if you close your eyes after one bite, feels like a warm hug to your soul, that you didn’t know you needed, on a cold, cold night.
So, allow yourself to enjoy the comfort of a dish that exudes pleasure guiltlessly, then pay it forward to show gratitude to the people you like and love. Happy Friendsgiving y’all!
Cheesy Risotto with Honeynut Squash, Fontina & Pancetta
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients for the risotto:
- ½ cup pancetta, diced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 – 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 honeynut squash, diced & roasted (see instructions below)
- ½ lb fontina cheese, diced
- 1 or 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions for the honeynut squash:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Keeping the skin on the honeynut squash, cut off the ends and discard. Cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds. Dice into bite-sized pieces.
- In a bowl, add the diced honeynut squash and enough olive oil to coat the squash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix, then transfer to a sheet pan.
- Spread evenly in the sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes. Set aside, saving a few pieces of the honeynut squash separately for garnish.
Instructions for the risotto:
- In a cold, heavy-bottomed, deep skillet, add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat, allowing the fat to slowly liquefy as it cooks, approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Feel free to add a touch, like a teaspoon, of olive oil to assist with browning the pancetta. When the fat is rendered and the pancetta is golden brown, remove the pancetta pieces using a slotted spoon. Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, saving a few pieces of pancetta separately for garnish. In the meantime, heat up the chicken stock.
- Add the minced shallot, garlic, and thyme to the pancetta fat, and stir on medium heat until aromatic and translucent, approximately 3 – 4 minutes.
- Add the arborio rice. Stir until the rice is lightly toasted but not dark, approximately 3 – 5 minutes.
- Using a 4-oz ladle, add the chicken stock, starting with 4 ladles. Stir the rice vigorously yet carefully so that no stock spills over. As you’re stirring, scrape the bottom of the pan to collect any stuck bits. Continue to stir until the chicken stock is nearly evaporated, then add 2 to 4 more ladles of chicken stock and continue to stir.
- Repeat the stirring process with the rice, adding stock incrementally a few more times. When half the stock remains, taste the rice to check for doneness.
- When the arborio rice is al dente, meaning firm to the bite, remove the garlic clove and the thyme sprigs and discard. Add the roasted honeynut squash, pancetta, and the diced fontina cheese to the risotto and stir until the cheese is fully melted. Add a ladle or two of chicken stock if necessary. If you run out of chicken stock, you can use hot water instead. When the fontina cheese is melted, add the butter and stir until melted. The texture of the rice should be loose and creamy, but not soupy. When you slide a wooden spoon across the skillet and the rice comes back together within seconds, you know you have the right texture. If the risotto stays separate, it is too thick, and you will need to add more stock to loosen it. If it comes together too quickly, continue to cook for a few more minutes to thicken the risotto.
- Once you’ve achieved your desired consistency, taste, and add salt and pepper only if necessary, then transfer the risotto to a deep serving dish and garnish with the saved honeynut squash and pancetta pieces. Serve immediately. Enjoy!