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.
What a beautiful pot! This risotto sounds like all my favorite vegetables, so probably something similar to this!
Mushroom risotto for me!
It’s beautiful! We make risotto frequently, mainly with whatever is on hand from the garden. In the fall we go mushrooming and love to make risotto with chanterelles, garlic, and greens. Mmmm!
I want to learn to make Risotto. I think I’d start with plain risotto, and work up from there.
What a beautiful pot…I’d like to make Spinach Risotto With Feta…yum!
that pot is just beautiful, and i love that the lid doubles as a trivet! i’d make roasted pear risotto, to go with a nice pork loin.
Beautiful pot! I’d make mushroom risotto with some kale or chard tossed in.
I Love Butternut squash and leeks so I think I would Have to try yours!
I love butternut squash risotto. What a lovely pan
I would love to make risotto and mushrooms in this beautiful pot!
In honor of the the gift I am about to receive (we can dream can’t we?), I would bless this pot and my belly with the squash recipe you posted.
The first type of risotto I’d make in the gorgeous Lagostina Risotto Pot would be a mushroom risotto, we love risotto and mushrooms, so that one would be the perfect inaugural risotto.
Shrimp with ramp pesto would be my choice. Beautiful pot!
Definitely mushroom risotto!
Wild mushroom risotto!
What a beautiful pot! I’d use the last of the butternut squash from this year’s garden.
I would love to make your recipe in this pot.
Probably a lemon asparagus risotto. Beautiful pan!
I have only made risotto once so your recipe sounds good, or any other veggie
I am addicted to risotto! Pumpkin or butternut squash would be my first recipe in this pot.
What a beautiful risotto pot! I have a recipe for 3 citrus risotto that I would love to make in that pot.
I’ve never made risotto either although it’s high on my wish list! Asparagus and shrimp sounds lovely .
I made risotto once and loved it. I would love to make your squash and greens recipe for my family. That gorgeous pot is very inspiring!
I agree! Beautiful cookware is worth the money since you use it so often. Your recipe sounds delicious. Would love one of these pots. Soundd like it could be used for many other cooking projects. Cheers
I would make my husbands favorite, mushroom risotto.
Any risotto is a good risotto… I’ve made squash with bacon most recently, but I’ve been wanting to try one with pesto in it.
I’ve a sweet potato, scallion, and sage risotto recipe saved for a while now, and, I’d love to try it out. I’d also make a mushroom risotto (maybe with a bit of bacon).
What a lovely piece of cookware!
Must admit to never actually making risotto, even with the appeal of it. Would most likely start making it with this – probably with mushrooms. And your suggestions in this post. Roasted squash is a favorite with your use of it with risotto a great idea.
Yum. Must make some risotto, even without this pan!
Cauliflower and roasted garlic. Maybe throw some blue cheese in there too. It would be fun to experiment with different ingredients.
I have a recipe from years ago for bay scallop risotto. I’d start there and then go on and on . . . . .
I love risotto. I put lots of different veggies in my risotts. Everyone loves them.
Mushroom risotto or pumpkin risotto…there are so many options with risotto!
This pot is gorgeous! My favorite risottos to make in the winter are pumpkin or mushroom so I would probably start there 🙂
Wow! A special pot to make risotto! My risotto is already pretty good, but a new pot will make it even better. Mushroom with the addition of roasted radicchio & belgian endive would be my first effort.
Having never made risotto, I’d use it to make something very basic at first.
I have never made risotto, but mushrooms and shrimp sound like a great combo to add to it.
I’ve never made risotto and all I know about it is that you’re going to be on “Chopped”, you better start at the beginning of your 30 minutes, otherwise it won’t be done.
Mushroom risotto!
Mushroom risotto!
Be still my heart. What a love cooking pot. I have two butternut squash resting on the kitchen counter right now. So, I will make Winter Squash Risotto with Leeks and Greens/
I’d make sun dried tomato and pea risotto
What a beautiful pot! Winter=risotto in my book, too.
I would make lemon asparagus risotto with shrimp in the Lagostina pot. I’d enjoy a glass of Chardonnay while I was cooking!
I would make lemon asparagus risotto in the Lagostina pot – what a perfect winter dish using asparagus from our garden , frozen last season. Shrimp might also find its way there! A glass of nice Chardonnay to accompany the risotto would also be nice!
I would make a creamy cheese and mushroom risotto.
I would make a Classic porcini risotto, which is my favorite.
Mushroom risotto.
Mmmmm…risotto with Parmesan and asparagus, topped with grilled shrimp! This is a beautiful pot!
On our first date, my (now) husband made risotto. I’d have him made it again in this pot.
My favorite is winter squash with sage risotto – this pot would be perfect!