Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto - by Sarah Taylor
This risotto is a simple dish to make. Roasting the squash first makes sure that its sweetness is bought out and the pumpkin seeds add some spicy crunch.
Ingredients
- 500g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
- 25g pumpkin seeds
- 850ml vegetable stock
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 150g arborio rice
- 100ml white wine
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chilli flakes
- 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- creme fraiche, to serve
Cooking instructions
Preheat the oven to 230C ( 450F, Gas Mark 8 )
Place the diced butternut squash in a small roasting tin with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the chilli flakes, season well. Toss the squash until it is well covered. Please in the preheated oven and cook for roughly 20 minutes or until soft and golden brown. Make sure to turn the squash at regular intervals whilst cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan and add the pumpkin seeds and chili flakes. Toast for about 2 minutes or until nicely browned, set these aside for a moment.
Whilst you are waiting for the squash to cook you can make the risotto. Pour the vegetable stock into a large saucepan and heat until its simmering. Pour the rest of the oil into a pan and add the onion. Sautee the onion for about a minute or until its soft. Add the rice and then stir for 2 - 3 minutes, add the wine and simmer until reduced by half.Add another ladleful of stock. Let the risotto simmer gently and add another ladleful of stock until each time the liquid has been absorbed. Keep stirring continuously until all the stock has been absorbed by the rice.
Once the rice has cooked, stir in the roasted butternut squash and also add the parmesan and season to taste. Serve immediately with some creme fraiche and a scattering of the toasted pumpkin seeds.
