Saffron Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash

This may sound lame, but I've always wanted to cook a butternut squash. It is lame, actually. I bought one at the store and decided this was the recipe I'd try. I invited my cousin, Cassady, over for dinner and we stunned by how fantastic this was! Saffron can be expensive, but you only need a small amount and can keep it in the fridge for the future. It's totally worth it, I promise!

Saffron Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (about 2lbs)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper
6 cups chicken stock (low sodium is best)
6 tbsp butter
2 oz pancetta (I used bacon)
1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2)
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp saffron threads
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut into bite size cubes. Place the squash on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and leave on a low heat to simmer.

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta (or bacon) and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a bit dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and parmesan cheese.

(Note: I add stock when I drag a spatula through the mixture and the risotto doesn't immediately fill the space made by my spatula.)