Last weekend I made two dishes for dinner that had Italian origins, but I doctored them with an American ingredient or two: Squash Risotto with Pecans, and Chard with Currants and Pecans. Both recipes called for pine nuts, which I did not have, but, I had plenty of pecans on hand. And the chard recipe called for raisins; I only had currants, but it was a fine substitute. The full recipes are at the end of the post.

Risotto ingredients

The squash cooked with fresh sage

Since I was going to be stirring the risotto fairly often, I wanted to prep most of my ingredients first. (And I find that makes for a smoother cooking experience anyway.) Once the ingredients were prepped, first thing was to cook the squash in a small saucepan with fresh sage and a little salt, and then sprinkle it with a bit of sherry vinegar.

Coating the risotto grains with the oil, before adding any liquid

Adding boiling broth, about a half a cup at a time

While the squash cooked, I started in on the risotto. First, sautéing onions until very soft, then adding the raw risotto and coating the grains well. And then adding the boiling broth a bit at a time.

Adding the cooked squash, when the risotto is almost done

Sautéing the chard

After about 20 minutes, when the risotto was almost done, I added in the squash. And meanwhile, I also did the chard, which was super-easy – sautéing a little garlic, then adding in the chopped chard and stirring until wilted, and then adding the currants and the chopped toasted pecans at the end.

Squash risotto with pecans, and chard with currants and pecans

Both dishes were ready at the same time, I served them immediately, and topped the risotto with some grated Parm Reg. Very yummy! Recipes follow, enjoy,
-Jillian

Squash Risotto with Marsala, Sage, and Pecans
(a modified recipe that originally appeared in Bon Appetit)

INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 2.5 to 3 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 6 generous cups
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
- 2 onions, chopped, about 3 cups
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, good quality
- 1-1/2 cups arborio rice (I used carnaroli, which is another kind of rice)
- 1/4 cup Marsala or medium dry sherry
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted
- Parmesan cheese, shaved

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 T oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add squash, sprinkle with sea salt and saute until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add chopped sage and cook until just tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle Sherry wine vinegar over, toss to incorporate. Transfer squash to plate and wipe skillet clean.

2. Heat remaining 2T oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add chopped onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and saute until onions are soft and beginning to brown, 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

3. Add arborio (or carnaroli) rice to onions in skillet. Stir until rice is slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add sherry, stir until absorbed. Add 1 cup warm broth mixture, stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding broth mixture by 1/2 cupfuls, stirring almost constantly, until rice is just tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, this should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Then add the squash, and cook another few minutes, so about 20 to 25 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the toasted pecans. Transfer squash risotto to plates and top with shaved parmesan if desired.

Swiss Chard with Currants and Pecans
(a modified recipe that originally came from Peggy Markel’s Tuscan kitchen)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound swiss chard, large stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons currents, soaked and drained
- salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Toast the pecans in the oven for a few minutes at low heat.

2. Cut chard into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in large skillet, add garlic and saute until golden. Add chard and saute until wilted. Add currants and pecans and season lightly with salt and pepper.

I love pumpkin, and as of last weekend I still had several small pie pumpkins from a local farm. So, I decided to try a recipe I got from an Italian friend, Risotto di Zucca – Pumpkin Risotto. My friend is from Piedmont, where much of the risotto eaten in Italy (and the world) is grown. (Our Piedmont tour this past October went to visit a risotto producer, learned a lot and had a fabulous lunch there, and enjoyed risotto as a primi piatti – first course – at many a restaurant throughout the tour.)

The full recipe is below the photos.

The day before I cooked I made sure I had a bag of Italian rice. The two rices used for this kind of dish are Carnaroli and Arborio (and Italians will argue about the merits of each for best use in various dishes); I had a bag of Carnaroli. And I defrosted 1-1/2 quarts of turkey broth we’d made at Thanksgiving. Ready to start, I peeled, de-seeded, and chopped the pumpkin into small cubes.

Peeled and seeded pumpkin.

Carnaroli rice

I simmered the pumpkin in broth and milk, with a bit of cinnamon and pepper, while I cooked the risotto. I brought the rest of the broth to a boil in another pot, and then kept it simmering, and started cooking the risotto. First step is to coat the risotto in oil, I used melted butter, and stirred it for a few minutes until the grains were well coated.

Pumpkin cubes simmering in broth and milk.

Coating the rice grains in melted butter.

Then I added a cup of hot broth, and stirred until absorbed, and kept adding more hot broth by 1/2 cup-fulls.

Adding the broth to the rice, 1/2 to 1 cup at a time.

Getting soft but a bit al dente inside, just about ready to add the pumpkin.

Once the risotto tasted done – somewhat soft but still a bit al dente in the center, I used a fork to mash the pumpkin in its broth, mixed it in to the risotto, added Parmigiano Reggiano, and served it immediately on warm plates, drizzled with a little Italian olive oil. Along with some fish poached in white wine and parsley, and an Italian white wine. A delicious dinner.

Stirring in the cooked pumpkin.

Pumpkin risotto and fish poached in wine and parsley.

Risotto di Zucca – Pumpkin Risotto

Serves 4

2-1/2 to 3 cups pumpkin, peeled, scraped, and cut in small dice
1 pound carnaroli rice, approx
approx 5 cups broth, for risotto
2/3 cup broth, for cooking pumpkin
1/4 cup milk, for cooking pumpkin
1 pinch cinnamon
black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
salt to tast

1. Peel, wash and cut the pumpkin in small cubes; put it in a pot with stock and milk and a pinch of ground cinnamon and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, turn down to low, cover, and cook everything until the pumpkin becomes soft and can be mashed easily with a fork and mixed into its broth.

2. Meanwhile, bring the rest of the broth to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook the rice (usually the cooking time is about 15 minutes). First, stir the rice in a couple tablespoons of melted butter, about 5 minutes, then add the simmering broth in approximately 1/2 cupfulls, stirring until absorbed. As soon as it’s cooked, add the pumpkin, more butter, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Mix everything, add salt to taste, and the pumpkin risotto is ready to eat!

Who knew, but real Fontina cheese is a DOP cheese from Piedmont. And I was not sure what “sweet Gorzongola” was, but the Mountain Gorgonzola from Zingerman’s Deli was delicious. As was the cream cheese from Zingerman’s Creamery, which I used instead of Mascarpone. I already had a hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano from the Deli on hand, since it’s one of my kitchen staples.

I had wonderered if the Gorgonzola would overpower the other cheeses. Its flavor was noticeable in the taste of the final dish, but it really blended nicely, I could taste the Fontina and the Parm Reg too. The cream cheese added to the creaminess of the dish overall. I used my home-made chicken stock, which was pretty strongly flavored so added depth to the dish as well.

I noted that it really needs a garnish to improve the look. Perhaps in summer, a sliced-up ripe tomato and some basil leaves? Pictures follow, and then the recipe.

Four-cheese risotto ingredients

Coating the risotto in the butter and olive oil, before adding the broth

Adding the Parm Reg near the end, when the risotto is almost fully cooked

The sparkling white wine was used in the dish, and accompanied it quite well.

Here’s the recipe, slightly modified, from Autumn in Piemonte: Food and Travels in Italy’s Northwest, by Manuela Darling-Gansser

Risotto with Four Cheeses
(Risotto al Quattro Formaggi)

2.5-3 pints chicken (or veggie) stock (I used homemade chicken stock)
2 ounces unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped (I just had a yellow onion)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 sprig rosemary
18 ounces risotto rice
4 fluid ounces dry white wine (I used a sparkling wine since that’s all I had on hand, worked great)
2 ounces Piedmontese Fontina cheese, cut into little cubes
2 ounces sweet Gorgonzola, cut into little cubes (I was not sure what the “sweet” meant, but I got “Mountain Gorgonzola” from Zingerman’s Deli, the flavor was wonderfully smooth
2 ounces Mascarpone – I used Zingerman’s Creamery cream cheese instead, worked great
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (thank you Zingerman’s Deli)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the stock to a boil.

In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan melt half the butter, then add the olive oil. Then fry the onion and garlic (do not let the garlic brown), adding the rosemary sprig when the onion begins to soften and become translucent.

Add the rice, coat it well with the butter and onions, cook for 1-2 minutes longer, then add the wine, stirring rigorously until all the wine has evaporated. Add half the boiling stock, stirring continuously. Add more stock a cup at a time, stirring until absorbed. (I used almost 4 pints of stock, rather than 3 pints.)

When the rice is nearly ready, after about 15 minutes (I found it took more than 20), add the cheeses, except the Parmesan, and dissolve them in the risotto. When the rice is done – it should be al dente, with a little residual bite in the center of the grains – take it off the heat, stir in the remaining butter and the Parmigiano. Discard the rosemary sprig. (All the leaves were gone from my rosemary sprig at this point, but I found the stem and pulled it out.) Taste for salt and add a bit of freshly ground pepper. Serve at once. It should be vey creamy and soft in consistency.

I have rarely cooked a dish starting with live clams, but I was feeling adventurous on Saturday, and I had a bag of great risotto from Piedmont in my pantry (we’ll be visiting this risotto grower on our food tour to Piedmont in October), and a fairly straightforward, gluten-free, Risotto with Clams recipe in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, so I went for it.

The clams cooked quickly in the pan, just in their own juices. I know there are “no-stir” risotto recipes out there, but I am a risotto newbie so I followed this recipe closely – it said stir, so I stirred. Adding the liquid a bit at a time. It worked fine. The key was to have all the ingredients prepped ahead of time, so I could stir with one hand and add them with the other hand.

Littleneck clams

The other ingredients

The recipe needed a bit of dry white Italian wine, and we drank the rest of the wine to accompany the meal. Light yet filling, a satisfying winter meal.

Adding a bit of liquid at a time to the risotto

The finished dish.

Below is a slight variation on her recipe (I lowered her quantities here since I was cooking for 2-3 servings instead of 6). Enjoy, -Jillian

Risotto with Clams, from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

Ingredients
18 small littleneck clams
1/2 Tablespoon onion, chopped fine
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 cup Italian risotto rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
Chopped hot red chili pepper, to taste
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:
1. Wash and scrub the clams. (Marcella Hazan has a long description of this in her book, with multiple changes of water. The fish market I was buying from had already cleaned their clams a fair amount so I had it easy.) Put them in a broad pan so the clams are spread out, cover the plan, and turn heat to high. Check the clams frequently, turning them over. Remove them from the pan as they open. When all the clams have opened, detach the meat from the shells and cut the meat into 2 or 3 even pieces. Save the juices from the pan in another bowl. (Again she has detailed instructions for removing yet more sand from the clams and the juice, which I did not do.)
2. Meanwhile, bring a pan with 3 to 5 cups of water to a slow steady simmer. Then in a very sturdy pot (enameled cast iron is great) put the chopped onion and 1-1/2 T olive oil and turn heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic. When the garlic is pale gold, add half the parsley, stir, then add the rice. Stir quickly and thoroughly for 20 seconds until the grains are coated well. Add the wine, stir. When all the wine is gone, add the clam juices, stir. When the clam juices are all gone, add the simmering water in 1/2 cup increments, stir until its all incorporated/evaporated, then add more. After the first few half-cups, add the hot chili pepper, salt, and black pepper. Keep cooking, stirring, and adding simmering water until the rice is tender but firm to the bite, and with just enough liquid to make the consistency somewhat runny. Add the clams, the remaining parsley, and 1-1/2 T olive oil, mixing thoroughly. Transfer to plates and serve immediately. (We poured yet a bit more extra virgin olive oil over the top.) Enjoy with a dry Italian white wine.

A friend and neighbor bought a white truffle at Eataly on a recent Wednesday, since apparently every Wednesday is “truffle day” there – meaning they’re slightly on sale. Her truffle was $6.50/gram instead of almost $8/gram. She invited us over, made a very simple risotto with homemade chicken stock, shaved the truffle over it and served immediately. The aroma from those little shavings in the risotto was powerful, I can better understand how dogs and pigs can find the ripe truffles under the ground! The white truffle risotto had a wonderfully rich and savory taste, earthy in an appealing way, and we cleaned our plates as thoroughly as table manners would allow. One of Piedmont’s stellar contributions to cuisine!

Shaving a white truffle over risotto.