Looking for a yummy alternative to turkey and ham? This has the wonderful golden orange colours of a risotto milanese (made with saffron), but the flavour of the butternut is wonderful with rice.
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
- 5 sage leaves (finely chopped)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 large knobs of butter (divided)
- 3 leeks (finely sliced)
- 400 g arborio rice
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 1 l vegetable stock (heated to simmering)
- 4 tblsp freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- 75 g pine nuts, to serve
Method
Looking for a yummy alternative to turkey and ham? This has the wonderful golden orange colours of a risotto milanese (made with saffron), but the flavour of the butternut is wonderful with rice.
- This has the wonderful golden orange colours of a risotto milanese (made with saffron), but the flavour of the butternut is wonderful with rice. The sprinkling of toasted pine nuts gives a lovely finish to this recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cut the butternut squash into 6–8 wedges (no need to peel), remove the seeds and place in a roasting tray.
- Add a generous amount of olive oil, the chopped garlic, half the sage leaves, sea salt and pepper over the butternut squash and rub it in with your hands.
- Roast in the oven for 40–50 minutes, until softened, becoming golden in colour.
- Once the squash has cooked, allow it to cool slightly, then scrape the soft flesh away from the skin into a bowl.
- Mash with a fork or potato masher until it is fairly chunky in texture. Scrape any sticky juices left in the roasting tray into the bowl and keep warm while making the risotto.
- Heat some olive oil and 1 good knob of butter in a deep, heavy-based saucepan. Gently fry the leeks until softened.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, until the grains are coated with the oil and butter and the rice is shiny and opaque.
- Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add a good ladle of hot stock and the remaining sage and season well with salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat and add the hot stock a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly until each ladleful is absorbed.
- After about 15–20 minutes the rice should be creamy but still firm to the bite.
- Meanwhile, place the pine nuts in a fairly hot dry frying pan and toss around until golden, taking care not to let them burn.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir the roasted butternut squash into the risotto, along with the Parmesan, the remaining butter and seasoning to taste.
- Add any extra stock if the risotto seems particularly thick.
- Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and extra Parmesan.
Catherine's Tip:
A time saving tip - bake the risotto in the oven, stir in the Parmesan after 20 minutes and bake for a further 15 minutes for a creamy texture.
