Barefoot Bloggers: Butternut Squash Risotto

Rachel of Rachel Likes to Cook chose this week's BB recipe challenge--Butternut Squash Risotto. I'd like to thank her for allowing me to step out of my comfort zone to make something new and different. I love butternut squash, so I figured this would be a wonderful dish. Lucky for me my friend, Vickie, was visiting from Texas and she was excited to get a taste of it too. We prepared it late at night after returning from the gym.

I had purchased the ingredients earlier that day. Can you believe that I spent about $13.00 each for the pancetta and the saffron? I was thinking, "man, for all the money I'm spending, this better be good!" I loved the smell of the pancetta and the onions. I'd honestly never cooked pancetta myself until this moment and I was so excited.

And then came the saffron. I don't know if there's any other saffron but the Spanish kind, which is the only kind the grocery store carried. It just smelled funny to me and at that point, I was hoping it came out tasting better than it smelled.

Well, the saffron gave the mixture a nice color and even more so when the butternut squash pieces were added. The squash came out so nicely, I had to sneak a few bite-size pieces before I added it.

Once everything was mixed, I ladled the risotto into bowls and Vickie and I both set out to try our new concoction. She liked it, although she said it was a little salty (probably from the pancetta). Me? I didn't like it so much. I just couldn't get over that strong saffron taste. Maybe it was just me. I had some of the leftovers the next day and it actually tasted better then. But I'm not sure if I'll ever make this dish again. I don't think enough of my friends and family like butternut squash enough to see it in this dish. Who knows? But thanks again to Rachel for the challenge!