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Spooky Squash Risotto
Scary squashes and petrifying pumpkins are our favourite veg at Halloween, but you don't need to be frightened of cooking them. To make this easy dish, you'll roast a butternut squash till it's tender and caramelised, while cooking a bubbling panful of rich and creamy risotto. Stir in the squash, add a splash of soya cream and a crunchy topping of pine nuts and you've got a meal that'll cast a spell over the whole family.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, approximately 800g
- 2 leeks
- 2 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 tbsp Italian herb blend
- 400g risotto rice
- 250g cherry vine tomatoes
- 200g baby leaf spinach
- 20cl soya cream
- 25g pine nuts
- 1 lemon
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 45 mins
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Halve the butternut squash lengthways and scoop out the seeds (see our tip below on how to use them up). Chop into 1-2cm-thick chunks. Tumble the squash onto a large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 20 mins.
2. While the squash roasts, trim the roots and any woody greens off the leeks, and rinse out any dirt. Thinly slice them. Trim the carrots and finely chop them (no need to peel, unless you prefer to).
3. Place a large frying pan or shallow casserole dish on a medium heat. Pour in 1 tbsp oil, then add the leeks and carrots to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Pop a lid on the pan (or use a baking tray if you don’t have a lid). Fry, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins, till the veg have softened.
4. Meanwhile, peel and grate or crush the garlic. Fill and boil your kettle. Crumble the stock cube into a heatproof measuring jug. Pour in 1.6 ltrs hot water from the kettle and stir to dissolve the stock cube.
5. Add the garlic and Italian herb blend to the veg (see our tip about the herbs, below). Cook for 2 mins, stirring. Stir in the risotto rice. Add a ladleful of the stock to the pan (around 100-150ml). Cook, stirring a few times, till the stock is absorbed. Repeat till you have used up all the stock and the risotto is thick and creamy with tender rice. You don’t need to stir constantly, just every few mins. This should take around 30-40 mins.
6. Meanwhile, when the squash pieces have cooked for 20 mins, turn them over and add the cherry vine tomatoes to the baking tray. Slide the tray back into the oven for a further 20 mins till the squash and tomatoes are tender and a little charred. If the squash is cooked before the risotto is ready, turn off the oven and move the tray down to a lower shelf to keep warm.
7. When the risotto is cooked, add the roast squash to the pan (hold the tomatoes back) along with the spinach, gently folding them through the rice till the spinach wilts. Stir in the soya cream and warm for 1-2 mins. Taste the risotto and salt or pepper, if you think it needs it.
8. Serve the risotto in warm bowls, topped with the roast cherry vine tomatoes, a scattering of pine nuts and a wedge of lemon on the side to squeeze over.
9. Pick Your Herbs
If you don't have a ready-made blend of dried herbs suitable for this risotto, use dried oregano or make your own mix, by combining ½ tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and dried rosemary.
If you don't have a ready-made blend of dried herbs suitable for this risotto, use dried oregano or make your own mix, by combining ½ tsp each dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme and dried rosemary.
10. No Waste, More Taste
You can turn the seeds from your butternut squash into a tasty snack. Pull off any threads of flesh stuck to them, then tip the seeds into a bowl. Add a glug of oil, a pinch of salt and your choice of spices (smoked paprika, ground cumin, garam masala and cinnamon are all good choices). Toss to coat. Fry in a dry frying pan set on a medium heat for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, till puffed up and browned. Store in an airtight tub for up to 7 days.
You can turn the seeds from your butternut squash into a tasty snack. Pull off any threads of flesh stuck to them, then tip the seeds into a bowl. Add a glug of oil, a pinch of salt and your choice of spices (smoked paprika, ground cumin, garam masala and cinnamon are all good choices). Toss to coat. Fry in a dry frying pan set on a medium heat for 3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, till puffed up and browned. Store in an airtight tub for up to 7 days.
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(£5.69 per 100g)
Packaged in a returnable pot. -
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