Simple squash risotto

Simple squash risotto

Roasted squash gives this vegetarian supper for two a deep autumnal flavour

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 - 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 35 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Method

  1. Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Peel the squash and separate the bulbous seed-bearing section from the slender end. Chop the slender end into 2cm cubes, toss in half the oil, season lightly and roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until golden brown on the outside and soft in the centre, about 30 mins. Cut the bulb in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon - you can keep these to toast in the oven and sprinkle over salads. Chop the flesh into 2cm pieces. Warm the vegetable stock in a small pan, set over a low heat. Drop in squash and leave to gently poach.
  2. While the squash is roasting, warm a medium-size frying pan over a gentle heat. Add the remaining olive oil and half the butter, followed by the onion. Cover and cook for 3 mins until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the celery, garlic, herbs and a few turns of pepper (no salt at this stage). Cover again and cook for a further 2 mins. Increase the heat slightly and stir in the rice. Stir, uncovered, for about 5 mins - this will help to develop the toasty aroma of the rice without burning the veg.
  3. Turn up the heat, stir in the wine and let it bubble away to almost nothing. Reduce the heat and start adding the stock. Add one ladle at a time, stirring gently but constantly during each addition. The idea is to encourage the rice to absorb the liquid and soften, but also give up its starch to thicken the remaining broth. Don't stir too aggressively or you will end up with a pan of mush. When the stock has been absorbed, it's time to add the next ladleful and so on. It will take about 15 mins to reach the final ladle of stock. By this time the squash in the stock should have softened. Mash it up with the remaining stock and stir into the risotto.
  4. Turn off the heat, dot the top of the risotto with remaining butter and most of the Parmesan, cover, leave to rest for 2 mins, then stir through and check the seasoning. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and sprinkle the roasted squash and leftover Parmesan on top. Serve with crusty bread and Sautéed spinach (below).
Try

Sauteed spinach, shallots & garlic

Warm 2 tbsp light olive oil in a frying pan with lid, set over a medium heat and add 25g of finely sliced shallot and 1 finely sliced garlic clove. Stir and cook for 1 min until golden. Increase the heat and add 200g washed young leaf spinach. Stir briefly, then pour in 1 tbsp water and cover tightly to help create steam. Leave for 30 secs, then remove the lid, season and boil rapidly to evaporate any remaining liquid. Simply spoon into a bowl and serve.

864 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 83g, fat 51 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 7g, sugar 17g, salt 0.94 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2009.

Try 3 issues of Good Food magazine for £3 - subscribe now!

Latest comments and suggestions

Results 41-47

  • 19 December 2012

    KayMacx rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Love love love this recipe, so tasty.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 15 January 2013

    Miss Flops rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Broke the traditional rules and cooked this risotto in the oven. Didn't use the fresh thyme. Roasted all the squash. Stirred gorgonzola cheese through the risotto at the end of cooking and topped with the squash. Absolutely gorgeous.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 06 February 2013

    TiffanyW1983 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    This is always a hit when I cook it, really filling and tasty. We have it with some part baked rolls put in the oven. I've never cooked risotto before but I think this recipe would be hard to beat! You could add in some bacon too, if you weren't cooking for vegetarians, however I don't think it needs any meat as its good as it is.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 06 February 2013

    TiffanyW1983 commented on this recipe

    Ps some say its a bit salty, so I advise only use one stock cube and also it does make a lot if you use a large squash, I find this recipe does make 2 very generous portions!

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 14 February 2013

    Dr Sardonicus rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Great recipe. Suggest roasting the squash twice as long to caramelise it, and crumbling feta on top, which cuts the sweetness. Doesn't need extra butter - the oil from the roasted vegetables is plenty and tastes better anyway. A bit of balsamic or lemon juice also cuts the sweet squash. Darling daughter (18, recent vegetarian) rated this among 'best ever'...

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 16 March 2013

    Hannah85 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Yum! Will definitely be making this recipes again, it's delicious! I gave the roasted squash slightly longer than said though. I also swapped the thyme for parsley (as its all I had) and the Parmesan for extra mature cheddar. Keen to try with the feta as suggested by others

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  • 09 April 2013

    josophine851 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious! Had no thyme so simply left it out. Quick and easy to make. Very generous portions for 2! Would provide 3 or even 4 adequate size portions. Will be making this again.

    Flag as inappropriate

    Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

Leave a comment or suggestion

You must sign in or register to leave a comment.

Sign in / Register

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 - 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 35 mins

Vegetarian

Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 4 tbsp light olive oil
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion , finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves , picked
  • 140g risotto rice (we like carnaroli)
  • 100ml white wine
  • 50g Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated
Print this recipe
Add to your binder

864 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 83g, fat 51 g, saturated fat 21g, fibre 7g, sugar 17g, salt 0.94 g

Advertisement

Your binder

Here are three other great reasons why to sign up:

  • You get an online binder, where you can store all your favourite recipes and create menus.

Follow Good Food

Advertisement

All about Good Food

Magazine

Good Food Magazine

Subscribe to Good Food magazine - enjoy 100+ triple-tested recipes delivered to your door, every month.

Order today, and receive your first 3 issues for just £3

On TV

Foodie TV

See your favourite chefs on Sky Channel 247, Virgin TV 260 and find their recipes at goodfoodchannel.co.uk.

Good Food Apps

Good Food Apps

For Good Food on the go, download our apps to your phone or portable device.
Find out more here

Buy ingredients

With just one click, the full list of recipe ingredients will be put into a basket at your choice of provider. Choose from:

mySupermarket Compare prices and choose a retailer you wish to buy them from.

Ocado Let Ocado deliver all you need for this recipe, right to your door

Tesco Buy all the ingredients from our recipes through your Tesco online shop.

new

Asda Shop with Asda? You can now buy ingredients for our recipes via your Asda online shop.

In association with the above providers. Terms and conditions apply.

Close