Mushroom and squash spelt risotto

I served this earthy mushroom and squash spelt risotto to our guests, after they arrived after a long train journey last weekend. I think it was quite well received, and hit the spot just fine. The beauty of these kinds of risottos is that they almost get better when reheated, so you can prepare them in advance only to be reheated quickly. This is also a very handy dish to make for several people as a one-pot. It can always be extended with bread and salad on the side.

I'm not going to publish this particular recipe here, as I've made similar dishes so many times before, and the pattern is pretty much the same. I used onion squash and brown closed cup mushrooms in this one, and roasted the squash. You can use pumpkin or other squashes in this recipe, different mushrooms, replace the mushrooms etc. It's all good. The main thing is that it's warming and comforting and uses seasonal produce. Add some cheese, if you like, or make a vegan version. You can also use pearled barley, even though I normally prefer spelt. Traditional arborio rice is also very nice in such autumnal risottos.

I just can't get enough of these autumn flavours, and have a few squashes lined up for further recipes. So I'm sorry, if you're not fond of squash, there will still be a lot of it on this blog.

Here are some of my similar previous recipes:

Porcini spelt risotto 

Crown prince squash spelt risotto 

Pattypan squash spelt risotto 

Harlequin squash risotto 

Wild mushroom and crown prince squash spelt risotto 

Harlequin squash spelt risotto with halloumi 

Yes, I rest my case. I seem to have made a similar dish once or twice before. Do you like autumnal risottos and what are your favourite ingredients for them?

Your VegHog