Categories: February

Ingredients

• 12 shallots, quartered
• 1kg butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped
• a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp light olive oil
• 500g arborio rice
• 2 litres of hot vegetable or chicken stock
• 100g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to garnish
• 50g butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/fan 180˚C/gas 6. Put the shallots, squash and thyme in a large, heavy-based roasting pan, drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Pop into the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until the squash is tender and the shallots are cooked through. Remove from the oven and pick out the thyme stalks, leaving the leaves in. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, sweat the onions in the light olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. When soft, add the rice, and stir to coat all the grains in oil. After about 2 minutes, add a couple of ladles of the hot stock and stir gently. As the liquid is absorbed by the rice, add another ladle or two. Continue in this manner, stirring continually with a wooden spoon, until all the liquid has been used and the rice has been cooking for about 20 minutes. The rice is done when it still has just a bite in the very centre. Add about two-thirds of the roast squash and shallots and stir them in well. (Some of the squash will break up and blend into the risotto.)

3. Just before serving, stir in the Parmesan and butter, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. The risotto should be creamy and fairly soft, like porridge.

4. Place a dollop into warm soup plates, top with a spoonful of the remaining squash and shallots, and garnish with Parmesan shavings. Serve with a green salad.

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