Roasted Pumpkin Risotto with Crispy Sage

The ultimate Autumn comfort food. This is the perfect risotto for a cool October evening. The fluffy roasted squash and the crispy sage leaves are the perfect pairing.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 medium pumpkin (around 1.5kg)
A handful of sage leaves (around 20)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
350g carnaroli or arborio rice
1.5L vegetable stock
Splash of white wine (optional)
A knob of butter (roughly 40g)
Oil

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC

  2. Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Chop into wedges. Place around two thirds of the pumpkin on a roasting tray, along with the sage leaves (reserving around 4 or 5 leaves for the stock). Give the pumpkin a good splash of oil and season well. Place in the oven to roast for around 40 minutes.

  3. Melt half of the knob of butter along with a splash of oil in a wide based pan (preferably one with a lid)

  4. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and leave to soften - make sure it’s on a low heat and keep an eye on them, you don’t want them to colour. Leave to soften for around 10 minutes.

  5. Meanwhile, add the remaining pumpkin, sage leaves and the stock to a pan. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.

  6. Once your onions have softened, add the rice. Cook it for around 2-3 minuets, stirring continuously. You should be able to notice the ends of the grains turning translucent. Add a splash of wine (if using) and wait for it to cook off. Season well.

  7. With the heat still low, start adding your stock one ladleful at a time, stirring almost continuously. Leave the sage and the pumpkin in the stock pan until the very end. This process should take around 20 minutes, or until most of the stock has been used up - the rice should be soft.

  8. Discard the sage leaves from the stock pan and mash the soft pumpkin that remains. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir this puree through, add the remaining knob of butter and place the lid on. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

  9. Serve the risotto with the roasted pumpkin on top and finish with the crispy sage leaves.