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 would make a butternut squash risotto with your recipe. Love the leeks and greens added to it!
Asparagus risotto is a sign of spring. Brightened up with lemon juice and zest.
butternut squash risotto!
SINCE I’VE NEVER MADE RISOTTO, I WOULD FOLLOW YOUR RECIPE. SOUNDS YUMMY!
Chanterelles!
I’d use your recipe, as everything I’ve made of yours has been delicious.
A mixed mushroom risotto with herbs and maybe some crispy pancetta on top!
Any risotto is great. I’d try yours for sure, and also a mushroom risotto. After that, who knows?
Holy moly that is a beautiful pot! I’d love to make a mushroom risotto. YUM!
I’ve been meaning to make a lemon risotto, maybe to serve with some scallops
I’d love to make an asparagus and mushroom risotto- this pan is gorgeous and risotto is one of my favorite meals!
It would depend on what I had on hand, right now it would be butternut squash or asparagus, or both for that matter!
I would make butternut squash risotto. The above recipe sounds amazing!
I would make an asparagus risotto. When ever I make it, people go nuts!
I’ve been meaning to make a shrimp risotto with some homemade fish stock I have in the freezer.
Butternut squash risotto, absolutely no question about it! Beautiful pan!
Risotto is my favorite comfort dish. I would love to try this pot!
So fun, I would love to just give a basic risotto a try! it has already intimidated me!
I’d love to try this winter squash risotto!
I would do a simple Parmesan Risotto.
I would make a risotto with spinach and asparagus, maybe add some sweet potato.
Butternut squash risotto…
risi bisi is my favorite. peas, bacon, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes
thanks for hosting the giveaway. i share your obsession with cookware, and this is an amazing piece!
Asparagus!
I love making wild mushroom risotto, and this pot would be perfect!
I’ve never actually made risotto but would love to after seeing pictures of your masterpiece!
A simple classic plain Risotto to really see how beautiful the new pot helps the cooking of the grains.
I would do risotto with sausage and mushrooms
Leek and pea? Bacon and onion? Gosh, I don’t know. I think my fave is butternut squash with shaved Parmesan and sage.
I’d make a tomato and basil risotto!
I’m not sure what kind of risotto I’d make, but thanks for the reminder about risotto- for some reason I tend to forget about it even though it is one of my husband’s favorites. Now I know what to make him for his birthday this weekend!
Butternut or Kobocha – all winter, the winter squashes, they call to me. Come spring, it’d be asparagus!
I love risotto but rarely make it – mushroom risotto is my favorite!
Mushroom risotto!
Classic risotto with parmesan and saffron!
I’ve never made a risotto before, but I have had mushroom risotto at a restaurant before and it was amazing–I would absolutely make that, if I could 🙂
Mushroom or lobster or shrimp or brussles or just butter anm
I’d make your recipe!
I’ve never made risotto, so I’d probably start with your recipe, but I might sub in some sweet potatoes for the squash since I currently have an abundance of sweets!
I love Smitten Kitchen’s tomato and sausage risotto with spinach. So much flavor from so few ingredients.
I made fresh corn risotto a couple times this summer and really love the texture it gives the dish.
I had the most amazing carrot risotto at a restaurant a few years ago … yep you read that right CARROT! I was not expecting much but it was so good!!! I’ve been wanting to try and figure out what they did to make it so good! So I would try to make that!
I had the best risotto of my life recently- farro risotto with mushrooms and parmesan. This pot would definitely be used to try and recreate that meal. Yum! But thinking ahead to spring, some lemon and asparagus risotto would be a definite possibility as well.
What a beautiful pot! I would love to use it to make a wild mushroom and spinach risotto.
Sweet corn risotto.
I would make a vegetarian risotto with lots of mushrooms!
I would make saffron risotto!
I’d make roasted vegetable risotto so simple and good! You
Spring greens risotto would be my go to.
I recently made an herbed risotto due to my lack of pantry ingredients. Went out to my garden picked a bunch of herbs (tarragon, oregano, basil, and thyme) and with a bit of lemon and saffron, it was perfect with halibut and roasted fennel.
Any kind!
My favorite – crawfish asparagus!
Beautiful! I would make a Sweet Pea and Truffle Risotto w/ Grilled Lobster Chunks
LOVE that pot!
Nice. I would try your recipe
I would make a sausage and onion risotto .
I would try a mushroom risotto
Your recipe sounds perfect.Love leeks
I would make risotto with a wine reduction sauce. I
Shrimp. It is the so good.