Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients

• 300g of Risotto or Arborio rice

• 1 x butternut squash - no need to peel!

• 2 garlic pieces finely chopped 

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1.5 litres of vegetable stock (3 x stock cubes - 1 per 500ml boiling water)

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 50g butter

• A few sage leaves

• Salt & Pepper

Prep time - 10 minutes

Cooking time - 40 minutes

Serves - 4 people

Method
Step 1

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees fan / Gas mark 7

Chop the squash in half, take out the seeds & put to one side. Chop into small bite sized pieces, get onto a tray and drizzle generously with olive oil, salt & pepper & torn sage. Clear a little space in the corner to roast the seeds as well if you like! Roast in a roasting tin or baking tray for around 30 mins on 180 until soft and golden in places

• Step 2

Meanwhile, place the butter, garlic and chopped onion in a large frying pan or saucepan and cook gently for roughly 10 mins until soft but not browned. Stir in the rice until completely covered in the butter and the edges of the grain start to look transparent

• Step 3

Add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time and stir the rice over a low heat for 30-35 mins until the rice is cooked (it’s normal for risotto rice to have a little firm bite to it.) The consistency should be creamy and not too dry. It makes it better to have hot stock and to continuously stir if you have time 🙂

• Step 4

When the squash is cooked, mash a quarter of it with a fork and then tip it all  into the risotto pan stirring it in whilst the risotto finishes cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste, the toasted seeds if you did them, and serve!

Additional recipe notes-

Delicious with some grated cheese or parmesan on top if you have it & can be made with any roast root veg.. also frozen peas are always great in risotto!