Butternut Squash, Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Risotto

NOTE: Be careful when adding salt to this recipe. I’ve made this a touch too salty before as I used too much bouillon powder when making the stock. The squash is seasoned as well!

1. Place the cubed butternut squash in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil and season. Roast in a hot oven until nicely golden (around 30 minutes at 200°C). This normally takes about as long as it takes to prep and cook the rest of the risotto. So do this first then worry about the risotto once it’s in the oven.

2. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a heavy pan (dutch ovens are the best), then add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until slightly softened. Try not to let it brown, just get it nice and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a moment more.

3. Stir in the rice and allow the oil to be absorbed and the grains to become glossy. Add the wine and allow it to be absorbed before adding a ladleful of stock at a time, continuing to simmer gently until the rice is tender* and the liquid is almost absorbed.

4. Remove from the heat, season to taste then stir in the roasted squash, spinach, lemon zest and juice, a good grating of parmesan and a knob of butter. Cover and allow it to cook in the residual heat for a couple of minutes. Risotto improves massively by being allowed to rest for a few minutes!

5. Serve scattered with goat’s cheese and pine nuts with a bit more parmesan and pepper on top if you fancy.

*To test whether the rice is cooked, take a single grain between your fingertips and press together. If it is completely soft then it is cooked; if there is any hardness in the centre it requires further cooking.

Blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola, also works well with this recipe.

Roast the squash until it really gets a nice golden color. That’s when it is at it sweetest. And the super sweet flavour goes so well with the sharp goat’s cheese.