Butternut squash risotto recipe

The trick to cooking this butternut squash risotto recipe perfectly is patience: add one ladleful at a time, waiting for all the liquid to be absorbed by the rice before you add the next. It’s a satisfying veggie supper chock full of both vitamin A and fibre – the wine is optional, but we say add it to make this classic Italian dish even more delicious.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

1 butternut squash chopped into 1cm cubes

Handful fresh oregano

Olive oil

375g risotto rice

1 onion (white), chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1.25 litres (2 pints) vegetable or chicken stock

1 glass of white wine (optional)

90g Parmesan

Salt and pepper

Handful of chives, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Before you make the risotto, heat the oven to 200°C. Leave the squash peel on and cut into small 1cm cubes. Toss the squash in 1tbsp oil together with the oregano and season well. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 45 minutes until it is brown and soft.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and sweat gently for 8-10 minutes until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.

If using wine, add a glass and simmer until totally evaporated. Add the stock a ladleful at a time and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy. When you draw a wooden spoon through it, there should be a wake that holds for a few moments but not longer.

It is best served with scattered chunks of squash, extra grated Parmesan, a sprinkle of chopped chives and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.