Butternut squash risotto with crispy sage and Parmesan crisps

Butternut squash risotto with crispy sage and Parmesan crisps

Recipe below!

Finally sharing with you one of my favourite recipes I’ve been cooking for a long time. This risotto is creamy, slightly sweet from the caramelised squash and salty from the crispy Parmesan. I just love it and I think you will too! Save to recreate

Ingredients (3-4 people):
1 small butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1-2cm bits
20g pack of sage with the leaves picked
2 large handfuls grated Parmesan
1L vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic finely chopped/crushed
150ml white wine
1 knob of butter
225g risotto rice
2tbsp creme fraiche (heaped)
Oil for frying

Method:
1. Heat your oven to 180 degrees. Put your squash in a baking dish with salt and pepper, 1tbsp oil. Chop 5 sage leaves and add them too. Mix and roast for 45 mins, turning in the middle.
2. While that is roasting, fry the onion at a medium temperature in your risotto pan with a drizzle of oil for 5 mins. Add in the garlic and fry for 3 mins. Keep stirring!
3. Add white wine and cook it until it has nearly disappeared.
4. Chop up 5 sage leaves and add these along with your butter. Add in your rice and cook for 2 mins, stirring.
5. Add in your stock about 200ml at a time. Turn your pan to low. Keep stirring, when one lot of stock has almost disappeared add the next 200ml. If you have any Parmesan rinds you can add these too! They will mostly melt away and add flavour.
6. Keep tasting the rice and when it is slightly al dente but not uncooked, stop adding stock. If you feel you need more liquid, keep adding more stock but 1L worked for me.
7. Whilst that is cooking, spread half the Parmesan on a sheet of baking paper in a thin layer . Roast for 5 mins or until golden brown. Remove and set aside. Add 10 sage leaves to 1tbsp oil in a pan and fry for 5 mins or until crisp. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.
8. When your risotto is al dente, add in your creme fraiche and the rest of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in your squash. Crack over the Parmesan crisps and sprinkle the crispy sage leaves to serve.