Butternut, Pecorino Cheese & Crispy Bacon Risotto

Place stock in a pot under low heat and keep warm. (If using a combination of stock and wine, keep wine at room temperature—do not heat.)

Blanch the peeled and diced squash by cooking in salted boiling water for approximately 4 minutes, then immediately cooling it in a bowl of iced water. Once cold, drain and reserve.

Heat a casserole with olive oil and add thinly sliced onions. Cook until tender and slightly golden. Add rice and stir with a wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until it turns translucent.

Pour a small quantity of hot stock or room-temperature white wine. Stir frequently to make sure rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Once liquid has completely evaporated, add a ladleful of stock/wine. Season with salt, a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon, and throw in rosemary sprigs as well as half of the squash.

Continue adding liquid gradually and stirring frequently for about 18 minutes (or a little less depending on the rice). About 5–8 minutes before rice is ready, add the rest of the squash. Check the consistency of the risotto (should be slightly liquid but the grains of rice should be firm) and turn off heat. Depending on how loose you like it, you can add a little more stock/wine.

Off heat, add diced butter, grated Pecorino, and stir vigorously for about 1 minute. This step is called mantecare. It comes from the word manteca which in Italian means “butter” and will give the risotto its final creamy consistency. Cover.

While the risotto rests for a couple of minutes, in a very hot pan without any oil added, sear the slices of streaky bacon until colored on each side.

Serve risotto in soup plates or bowls, adding the grilled bacon, a few toasted pumpkin seeds, freshly grated Pecorino and a rosemary sprig.