I have a weakness for beautiful cookware (some woman collect jewelry, I surround myself pots and pans). The first time I saw the Lagostina Risotto Pot at my local Williams-Sonoma, I nearly swooned. Gleaming tri-ply stainless steel! A wooden topped lid (that fits tightly and doubles as a trivet)! And a thick, heat diffusing base to prevent hot spots and burning!
To my very great delight, not long after spotting this gorgeous pot for the first time, I got an email asking if I might like one to use for the development of a risotto recipe. I sent a positive response off as quickly as my fingers could type.
Since this lovely piece of cookware arrived, I’ve been making a lot of risotto. It’s one of my favorite things to make and eat on chilly days. I love the ceremony of near-constant cooking (though to be truthful, I often put the spoon down for a moment or two so that I can do a little clean-up while I cook) and the comfort that comes when you cozy up to a bowlful.
Whenever I make risotto, my primary goal is to cram as much vegetable content into the pot. Risotto can be a heavy dish, and so making sure that it’s packed with fresh produce (in this case, aromatics, greens, and roasted squash) helps lighten it and make it a more regular dinnertime occurrence.
When I make this for me (if I’m making if for Scott, I use roasted carrots in place of squash), I peel and chop all the squash and stir it into the rice. However, if I have friends coming by, I like to reserve some of the roasted squash to serve on top. It brings a little visual and textural interest to the plate and makes it feel like something you might be served as the neighborhood Italian place.
What’s nice about this piece of cookware is that truly, it’s good for so much more than risotto. The wide base and low profile mean that it’s a great shape for any dish you want to simmer and reduce. It does good work with small batches of jam and I love using to make Marcella’s tomato sauce.
The Lagostina Risotto pot can be found at Williams-Sonoma, Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and other specialty shops, and retails for $199.95. For more information about Lagostina, check out their social accounts and visit their website.
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Thanks to the kind folks at Lagostina, I have one of their glorious Risotto Pots to give away to you guys. Here’s how to enter.
- Leave a comment on this post and tell me what kind of risotto you’d make in this pot.
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm eastern time on Saturday, December 19, 2015. A winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog on Sunday, December 20, 2015.
- Giveaway open to United States residents only. Void where prohibited.
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
Disclosure: Lagostina sent me this risotto pot to use and write about. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Winter Squash Risotto with Leeks and Greens
Ingredients
- 1 pound winter squash butternut, acorn, hubbard are all good
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh thyme for sprinkling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion minced
- 2 large leeks cleaned and chopped
- 6 cups chopped greens a mix of kale, spinach, and chard is good
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 cups carnaroli rice
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 8 cups chicken or veg stock warmed
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the squash into wedges, slices, or cubes and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, and arrange some fresh thyme leaves around the squash. Roast for 25-40 minutes, until the squash is tender.
- While the squash cooks, place your risotto pot on the stove. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and sliced leeks and cook, stirring regularly, until the wilt and brown a little.
- Add the greens and stir them into the onions and leeks. Cook until tender.
- Add the butter and the rice and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until all the rice grains are glistening and separated.
- Pour in the white wine and stir to combine until it’s been absorbed.
- Once the wine has absorbed, add just enough stock to cover the rice and veg, and stir until it’s been incorporated.
- Continue adding the stock and stirring, until all the stock as been absorbed.
- When you’ve incorporated all the stock, remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese and heavy cream. Taste and add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Cut about half the squash away from the peels and into chunks. Stir it into the finished risotto. Reserve about half the roasted squash to use as a garnish. Serve hot.
I’ve never actually made risotto, but your recipe here for one with leeks and greens sounds tasty!
Hmmmm, I like the sound of your roasted carrot idea! First I would probably do a mushroom and onion and cheese combo though.
I would make risotto with mushrooms. It’s my all time favorite.
I would make an oriental-style carrot risotto with raisins. jslbrown2009 at aol dot com
A garlicky lemony risotto with shrimp and lots of parm. and a shake of red pepper flakes and parsley on top.
Mushrooms with spinach and some lovely aged parmesan or perhaps just whatever veggie is laying in the veggie drawer waiting to be used. Risotto is a good dish to make when my vegetarian son and girlfriend visit.
I’d use broth and make a mushroom risotto with peas for a little color and maybe some grated parmesan…risotto is a great dish for add-ins. Thank you and Williams-Sonoma for this great giveaway!
My normal go to Risotto is lemon brocolli parmesan but my first risotto in the beautiful new pan would be the recipe that you posted. It looks so yummy!
I think the first risotto I’d make would be your recipe that I just printed off as it looks so good and makes me hungry just looking at it.
Mushroom, definitely!
Have Never made Risotto so would be a learning experience for me.
Thank you for this giveaway opportunity
I would make a simple risotto with fresh herbs and cheese for my little girls.
Wild Mushroom and Champagne Risotto for sure. That is a pretty pot 🙂
I would make a spring risotto with gremolata and scallops.
I’m already dreaming of an asparagus, pea, and shallot risotto. That wood lid is gorgeous!
Definitely mushroom — I have some dried porcini crying out to be used — plus whatever sounds good at the time. Leeks and/or goat cheese would be high on the list.
Risotto Gorgonzola with mushrooms and spinach, the first risotto I ever tasted and fell in love.
I love mushrooms, so probably mushroom risotto. This is a beautiful pot.
Winter squash risotto — either butternut or delicata.
Risotto ai Funghi of course!
Black bean and broccoli risotto! So very good!
Mushroom risotto for sure!
I would make a “pumpkin” risotto, using one of the Boston Marrow squash from our garden this year.
Mushroom risotto is my favorite!
Risotto is an essential meal for our family! Chanterelle mushroom risotto is my favorite, but someday soon I’d love to try the risotto with salmon and dill recipe from the Williams Sonoma Risotto cookbook. Thanks for the chance to win such a lovely pot!
I would love to try this recipe. I have some Pennsylvania Crookneck squash hangin out in my pantry waiting for the perfect recipe to come along. Beautiful pot!
Of course I’d start with this delicious-sounding winter squash risotto (I have an acorn one to use up), but maybe topped with some mushrooms since all these mushroom-risotto comments are giving me a craving!
I would make a mushroom risotto, my favorite.
Mushroom with peas would be my first choice. Perfect all winter!
I’ve never made risotto. I’d love to try it!
I have never tried making a risotto. So I’d probably start with a basic one.
Mushroom risotto now, but eagerly anticipate making zucchini flower risotto in the summer!
Now I have a hankering for butternut squash risotto! I’d make that first!
Mushroom risotto!
I’d make a risotto that incorporates the black trumpet mushrooms I picked and dried this past summer! I’d probably add another veggie, too, because just like you I really like loading up a dish like this with veggies!
I’ve never made risotto before. I don’t really know.
Whoa, a pot for risotto! That is seriously awesome. 🙂 I once made a butternut squash-blue cheese risotto with my aunt that I would love to recreate.
One of my favs is porchinis and caramelized onions finished with gorgonzola instead of Parmesan. But, really, what can’t you use in risotto?
I would make a chanterelle mushroom risotto in this gorgeous pot.
Mushroom and spinach with leeks.
I would keep it pretty simple and make a lemon-herb risotto. I love the pot’s lid and that it’s made in Italy.
I’d make butternut squash risotto.
Mushroom,leek and cheese,yum!
I’ve never made risotto successfully before. I think it’s my pot. I think a sweet dessert risotto sounds kind of fun…is that a real thing? like the sweet black rice porridge you get at thai restaurants, with coconut milk. Wonder if that would work… and this is why I’ve never made risotto successfully. ;p
Mushroom risotto made with half arborio rice & half barley, with peas stirred in at the last minute. And what a beautiful pot this is!
I would make a mushroom and goat cheese risotto. Now my mouth is watering….
Ooh, something with leeks and mushrooms. Those sound delicious right now!
I think I’d use a variety of the plastic-baggied frozen garden veggies in my freezer. Looks lovely!
I’d make barley risotto.
I love making butternut squash risotto. Of course, I fell in love with my now-husband when we were dating when he made me mushroom risotto…so that also would be lovely made in this beautiful pot.