Ranting and risotto- my favourite things!

The more I've thought about this blog and the recipes I've put in it, I've realised that it's is a place to put all the recipes people ask me for. It's pretty much out of laziness because there's always someone asking me to make them food: "I'd love it if you made ...... again" or "That ....... you made was lovely. I don't know what to do for tea tonight". So as much as I enjoy making you all food, this can be a place of reference if you ever like the sound of the food I make and don't know where to start :)

I made this risotto when I was living in a flat in Cardiff. It took me ages, making the stock from scratch as I hadn't any stock cubes. It was a beautiful, herby experience. I'm used to not eating meat so didn't even consider making some for my housemate, who insisted it needed meat so she defrosted some spicy meatballs and mixed it into her portion. I suggest if you want to taste the sage and squash, that you don't do that. A risotto isn't a side dish!

Sage and butternut squash risotto

Ingredients
1 butternut squash
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
About 15 sage leaves, chopped
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large knobs of butter
1 large onion, chopped
400g arborio or other Italian risotto rice
2 glasses white wine
1 litre/1¾ pint hot chicken or vegetable stock
good handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
75g pine nuts, to serve

Cut the butternut squash into 6-8 wedges, remove the seeds and place in a roasting tray. Pound or chop the garlic and add a generous glug of olive oil, half the sage leaves, sea salt and pepper. Tip into the tray and rub over the butternut squash with your hands. Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes until softened and becoming golden in colour.

Once the squash has cooked, cool slightly, then scrape the soft flesh away from the skin into a bowl. Lightly mash with a fork or potato masher until it is fairly chunky in texture. Scrape any juice into the bowl and keep warm while making the risotto.

Heat the olive oil and a good knob of butter in a pan. Gently fry the onion until softened. Add the rice and stir for about a minute until the grains are coated with the oil and butter. Pour in the wine and stir continuously until it has cooked into the rice. Add a good ladle of hot stock and the remaining sage and season well with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down so the stock is simmering gently. Keep adding ladles of stock as it cooks into the rice, stirring and moving the rice around in the pan. After about 15-20 minutes the rice should be soft but still have a bit of bite left in it.

Remove from the heat and stir the squash into the risotto with the parmesan, butter and season. Add extra stock if the risotto seems too thick.

During this time, place the pinenuts in a fairly hot frying pan and toss around until golden. Spoon the risotto into warmed bowls and scatter with the pinenuts and extra parmesan.