It’s cosy season and with Halloween coming up, it seemed the perfect time to share my simple squash and sage risotto!
INGREDIENTS
Risotto:
Squash (or pumpkin – whole small or the bottom half of a large one)
Garlic
Shallot
Nutmeg
Paprika
Chilli flakes
Arborio / risotto rice
White wine (optional – otherwise replace with additional vegetable stock)
Vegetable stock
Parmigiano Reggiano (or another Italian hard cheese)
Butter
Topping:
Sage
Pumpkin seeds
TIPS & NOTES
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; people make risotto much more complicated than it needs to be! Sure, you can put in 50% more work to get that extra 20%, but I’d rather just get 80% of the benefit with less effort! I don’t think you need to hover over it stirring constantly; just stir every so often and add the stock in little batches (plus some extra right at the end if you want to adjust the consistency).
I use a vegetable stock cube (because I just find it more convenient for long-term storage) and adjust the seasoning accordingly, but you might need to hold back on seasoning if you use a pre-mixed vegetable stock liquid.
Personally, I don’t feel the need to blend the roasted squash before adding to the main risotto (it breaks down if you just smush slightly with a wooden spoon and due to the further cooking down), but you can do if you like! You could also use the seeds from the squash for the garnish – you’ll need to hull them though, which is quite time-consuming.
Squash & Sage Risotto
A simple autumn risotto
Ingredients
- 1/2 a medium squash (bottom half) or 1 small squash
- 250g of arborio rice
- 1 shallot (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed, finely chopped or grated)
- 1/2 a tsp of chilli flakes
- 1/2 a tsp of nutmeg
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 70ml of white wine (or additional vegetable stock)
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 30g of Parmigiano Reggiano (finely grated)
- A knob of butter
- 2 sprigs of sage
- 1 tbsp of pumpkin seeds
- A drizzle or two of olive oil for cooking
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds – cut one half into slices and pierce the other half on both sides with a fork
- Toss the slices in olive oil, salt, pepper and 1/3 of the spice mix (paprika, chilli flakes and nutmeg) and add to an oven dish
- Add the other half (skin side down) to the oven dish and drizzle with olive oil, add some of the spice mix and salt and pepper into the hollow – roast for 25-30 mins (check on it partway through)
- Give the pumpkin a 10-15 minute head start before boiling the kettle and putting a wide-based pan over a medium heat – add a drizzle of olive oil, the garlic, shallot, the final 1/3 of the spice mix and some salt and pepper and sauté for a couple of minutes until fragrant
- Dissolve the stock cube in 600ml of water
- Add the arborio rice to the aromatics and toast for a couple of mins before adding the white wine to deglaze the pan – lower the temperature slightly also
- Once the white wine is absorbed, add around 1/5 of the vegetable stock and stir
- Repeat until all of the stock is absorbed – when the squash is almost done, add the pumpkin seeds to an ovenproof dish with the sage (drizzle the leaves with a little olive oil) and add to roast for 7-10 mins
- Remove the sage and pumpkin seeds and whole half of squash from the oven once it’s cooked and soft, to cool slightly, leave the slices in the oven (with the power off) to stay warm
- Once the whole half has cooled long enough to handle, scoop the flesh out and add it to the risotto
- Once all the stock is added and the rice is cooked through, add a little more water if you want a looser consistency, otherwise proceed to turn off the heat and melt in the butter, then add in the Parmigiano Reggiano and allow to melt in (hold back some as a garnish, if you like)
- Serve the risotto with the slices on top with the crispy sage leaves and toasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled over
Let me know if you try this risotto!
But First, Food 
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