Recipe: Butternut Squash & Goats Cheese Risotto

I wanted to share one of my current favourite recipes with you. I’ve been having this Butternut Squash Risotto once a week for a few months now and look forward to it every week. One thing I love about making this is the ritual; the slow ladle by ladle process of making risotto really helps me unwind from the day and be present in the kitchen.

Ingredients - serves 4

1 small butternut squash - peeled and cut into cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

Black pepper and sea salt

1 tsp dried sage

1 onion - chopped

2 garlic - crushed

200g risotto rice

500ml vegetable stock

50g goats cheese

Handful rocket

Method

Firstly pre heat the oven to 180C and pop the butternut squash in a baking tray with the olive oil, salt and pepper and dried sage. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until the butternut squash is cooked through and starting to brown at the edges.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic for 10 mins until soft and then add the risotto and stir. Coat all the rice and then add your first ladle of vegetable stock. Stir and allow the stock to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next ladle. Continue gradually cooking the rice, ladle by ladle until all the stock is used and the rice is cooked. It’s a slow and enjoyable process if you are present and calm.

Add the roasted butternut squash to the cooked risotto rice and stir through.

Serve with the goats cheese, rocked and more black pepper sprinkled on top.