Roasted squash risotto

Not feeling like discussing technical topics at the moment, I thought I'd try something different and write about a recipe I developed tonight: a roasted squash risotto. The version I present here has pork and dairy in it, but the recipe should work just as well omitting either or both, if you would prefer a vegetarian or vegan version.

Ingredients

Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Mushrooms
Shallots
Arborio rice
Vegetable stock (chicken stock should work as well)
Prosciutto or pancetta (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Butter (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg

Procedure

Skin and dice the butternut squash into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes. Slice the acorn squash to ~3/4" rings. Don't worry about skinning the acorn squash at the moment; it's pretty much impossible to do while raw but is trivial once roasted.

Par-cook the squash by roasting in the oven at 350-375ºF for about 20 minutes until just soft. Important: Don't cook the squash all the way through (i.e., to the softness you expect when you eat it) as it will finish cooking when added to the rest of the risotto. Cooking the squash all the way through during the roasting stage will just lead to mush in the final product.

Once the acorn squash has cooled enough, skin and dice into 1/2" to 3/4" cubes.

While the squash is cooking, prepare the rest of your mise en place by slicing the shallots and mushrooms (~1/4" slices), mincing the proscuitto, and shredding the Parmesan cheese.

Sweat the shallots on medium-low to medium heat until slightly translucent. Increase the heat a little, add the mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms lose most of their water and turn slightly brown.

If using, add the prosciutto (or pancetta), and cook until the fat has been rendered and the edges start to crisp.

Increase the heat a little more. Add the rice, and cook (toast) until the grains start developing translucent edges.

Deglaze the pan using some stock. Then follow "standard risotto procedure" by adding a little bit of stock, stirring until the liquid is absorbed, and repeating.

When using store-bought stock to make risotto, I switch to using plain water about half way through; the taste of such stock tends to be quite strong, and I don't want the stock to overpower the flavor of the rest of the ingredients. With homemade stock (which is what I should really be using), I have a bit more control of how flavorful the stock is, so switching to water may not be necessary.

When the rice is about three quarters of the way done, add the par-cooked butternut squash, and continue with the risotto procedure. Owing to the large number of factors affecting how the rice cooks, the only way to really tell where this three quarters mark is to taste the rice; I find the "right" time to add the butternut squash is when the rice is soft on the outside but still has a raw texture (slightly crunchy and starchy) towards the middle.

When the rice is mostly (say 90%) done, add the acorn squash before finishing the rice. I add the acorn squash towards the end because it's softer than the butternut squash, and adding both at the same time would turn the acorn squash to mush.

When the rice is done cooking and has a nice creamy texture, turn down (or off) the heat, and finish the risotto by stirring in the Parmesan cheese and butter until both are fully melted and integrated.

Plate and serve.