Butternut Squash, Parmesan & Sage Risotto

By Katrina Lander

Butternut Squash season is officially upon us, and I can’t say I’m upset about it. It’s deliciously sweet in flavour, super versatile and carries plenty of nutritional benefits, including being a great source of fibre, and high in potassium.

My butternut squash, parmesan and sage risotto recipe is my favourite risotto recipe. It packs flavour and is a definite comfort food that’s perfect for the colder evenings. I personally think it is great to make for a date night indoors and/or when hosting - with the crispy sage and parmesan shavings it looks a little fancy.

Prep: 20 mins 

Cook: 1 hour 10 minutes

 Difficulty Easy 

Serves  4

Ingredients 

• 400g butternut squash - peeled, deseeded, and cubed.
• Small bunch of fresh sage leaves – 10 sage leaves finely chopped, plus extra to serve.
• 1 tbsp butter.
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped.
• 1 medium leek finely chopped.
• 350g risotto rice.
• 200ml white wine.
• 1 litre hot chicken or vegetable stock.
• 50g freshly shaved parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve.

Method  

1. Preheat your oven to 200C/400F/gas 6. Place your squash into a roasting tin along with the fresh chopped sage and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for around 30-35 minutes until the squash is softened and becoming slightly golden in colour (toss your butternut squash halfway through cooking). Set aside to cool.

2. In a small frying pan, melt the butter and fry your remaining sage leaves until crispy on both sides. Set aside to cool.

3. Add 1tbsp olive oil into a deep pan, on a medium heat fry the leek and garlic until softened.

4. Add your risotto rice and stir for 2 minutes. Add the wine and continue to stir until completely evaporated.

5. Add a ladleful of stock and simmer, stirring frequently. Continue to add ladles of stock, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next, ensuring to season as you go.

6. When the risotto is just done (it should be creamy and have a slight al dente texture) turn the heat off. Chop your now cooled down squash into small bitesize chunks and stir into your risotto, along with the sage from the roasting tin and the fresh parmesan.

7. Serve the risotto with your crispy sage leaves on top and add an extra serving of parmesan shavings.

Top Tip

• If you don’t want to keep the recipe vegetarian, prosciutto works well with the flavour combination. Pan-fry the prosciutto until crispy and serve on top of your risotto.