Winter Squash Risotto

5 or 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
Olive oil 
Leeks, cleaned and finely chopped to make 1 cup. Alternately, you can use an onion
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 winter squash
Fresh oregano and/or sage – minced to make one tablespoon
Salt and Pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

First, bake the winter squash until it is soft all the way through.  Let it cool, remove the seeds and then scoop out the squash and set aside in a bowl. Warm up the stock.  Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan, add the leeks (or onion) and sauté over medium heat until softened.  Add the fresh herbs.  Stir in the rice to coat it with oil.  Keep stirring and slowly add the wine. Stir and cook until nearly all the wine has been absorbed, about 2 minutes.  Add several ladlefuls of hot stock (enough to barely cover the rice) and stir until most is absorbed.  Continue to add the stock, stirring, until the rice is barely tender and the mixture is creamy.  It will take about 25 or 30 minutes.  Turn down the heat if the rice is absorbing the stock too quickly.  Stir in the squash during the last 5 or 10 minutes.  When the rice is done, stir in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.