Butternut Squash, Sage and Mascarpone Risotto Recipe
Butternut Squash, Sage and Mascarpone Risotto recipe. Creamy, rich and comforting, this risotto recipe is perfect for a cold autumnal evening
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash peeled and chopped into one inch cubes
- 2 Shallots finely chopped
- 4 Garlic cloves finely chopped
- 400 ml white wine
- 200 g Risotto rice
- 600 ml Vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 heaped tbsp Mascarpone
- 20 g Grated Parmesan
- 15 Fresh sage leaves
- Pumpkin seeds and pine nuts for serving
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Put about half of the chopped butternut squash in a bowl with 100ml boiling water and a grinding of salt. Cover the bowl with cling film, pierce a few holes and cook in the microwave for 6-8 minutes until really soft.
- Drain the butternut squash and add to a blender (I used a nutribullet) with some salt and pepper. Blitz to a purée.
- Heat the oven to 240C. Finely chop half of the sage leaves and toss with the remaining chopped squash along with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25 minutes until soft and caramelised.
- Melt a tablespoon butter in a large frying pan. Add the chopped shallots and a sprinkle of salt and cook gently for 10 minutes on a low-medium heat until soft but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat in the onions, garlic and butter for a minute or so.
- Pour in the wine, bring to a simmer and reduce by about half.
- Keep the stock hot in a pan and add around a ladle of stock at a time to the risotto, stirring constantly. You might not need all of the stock, but you are aiming for cooked but not stodgy and a creamy consistency.
- Stir through the puréed squash, Parmesan and Mascarpone. Taste and season with salt and about half a teaspoon of ground white pepper. Stir once more and then turn off the heat and allow to sit for five minutes before serving.
- Toast around two tablespoons of pine nuts in a dry pan until just beginning to colour. Remove and put to the side for garnishing. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and add the sage leaves. Fry on a high heat for a minute or so until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
- Serve the risotto in bowls topped with the roasted squash cubes, the toasted pine nuts, crispy sage leaves, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and some dollops of mascarpone. Enjoy!
