This recipe works well for family dinners. If you make up a big batch of it you can keep some in the fridge overnight. That way the next day you can turn the leftover risotto into tasty little arancini rice balls in just a few minutes! You can find our arancini rice balls recipe here.
Summary
Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking: 15 minutes
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Intermediate
Makes: 2 bowls risotto
How to make butternut squash risotto?
The first step when making this risotto is to roast the butternut squash in the oven. This softens it and releases the juicy sweet flavours.
The cooked squash is then chopped and ready to be used in the risotto, together with sage, stock and the other ingredients.
The risotto itself is cooked by following a few classic steps. First the onions and garlic are sauteed in butter.
Then the herbs go in, followed by the Arborio rice (a special rice for use particularly in risottos). You want to stir the rice constantly so that it’s coated in the butter. After that you can add the squash and sage, and pour in the vegetable or chicken stock gradually and bring it to the boil.
Risottos need about 15-20 minutes of simmering and during this time it’s advised to keep stirring to stop it going clumpy and sticky.
After that you’ll have a delicious, warm Italian dish!
Ingredients
For the roasted butternut squash:
- ¼ large butternut squash
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the risotto:
- Roast squash (see above)
- 100 grams arborio rice
- 20 grams grated parmesan
- ½ bunch fresh sage (10 grams)
- ¼ large onion or 1 shallot
- ½ garlic clove
- 400mls warm chicken or vegetable stock
- 20 grams unsalted butter
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 77 grams pancetta cubes
Instructions
Roast the butternut squash
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- Peel and chop the butternut squash into slices and place in a bowl.
- Add the olive oil, some salt and pepper and mix until coated.
- Lay the pieces out on an oven dish so that each piece has its own space.
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and soft throughout.
Make the risotto
- Warm the chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan. Set aside.
- In a frying pan add half the butter (10 grams) and melt on a low heat.
- Add in the diced onion or shallot, the crushed garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until softened.
- Add in the chopped sage leaves and stir.
- Add in the other half of the butter (10 grams) and melt. Then stir in the Arborio rice and stir it constantly until it’s coated with the butter.
- Chop the roasted butternut squash pieces into cubes and stir them into the risotto.
- Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice.
- Add in a ladle of the warm stock to the pan and bring to the boil.
- Keep stirring and adding stock a ladle at a time as the liquid simmers 10-15 minutes. You want the rice to be cooked through but still slightly al-dente.
- In a separate pan add 1 teaspoon olive oil and cook the pancetta cubes on a low heat until crispy.
- Stir the crispy pancetta cubes and grated parmesan into the risotto just before serving. Enjoy this tasty family meal!
Squash and pancetta risotto – our step by step guide:
Prepare the butternut squash
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
Peel and chop your butternut squash.
Put your butternut squash slices into a small bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss everything with a spoon to evenly coat the butternut squash.
Roast the butternut squash
Spread your butternut squash evenly on a baking tray. Make sure that each piece has its own space.
Put your tray in the oven and bake the squash for 30 minutes, turning once halfway through.
You want the pieces to be golden and soft throughout.
When they’ve cooled cut them into cubes so that they’re ready to use in the risotto.
Warm your chicken or vegetable stock
If using ready liquid stock then simply warm 400 mls of stock in a saucepan.
If you’re using low sodium stock cubes then add the cube to a saucepan along with 400 mls water and warm on the hob over a low heat.
Cook the onion and garlic
Chop your onion and mince your garlic.
Heat a half of your butter (10 grams) in a medium sized frying pan and saute your onions and garlic over very low heat for about a minute.
Add the sage leaves
Add your chopped sage to the pan and give everything a good stir.
Add the rice
Put the other half of your butter (10 grams) into the pan and melt.
Add in your arborio rice.
Move it all around with a wooden spoon to ensure that the rice is evenly coated in the butter.
Add in your butternut squash
If you haven’t already, take your cooked butternut squash slices and chop into cubes.
Add them to the risotto in the frying pan and stir gently.
Add the stock a ladel at a time
Add a ladel of the warm stock to the risotto and stir.
Keep stirring until the liquid is absorbed and add another ladel of stock.
Repeat this until all the stock has gone and the rice should be cooked through but still slightly al-dente (not mushy).
If you need to add an extra ladel of warm water or warm stock as needed.
It should take 15 minutes for the rice to cook and the risotto to be ready.
Cook the pancetta
When the risotto is ready, take a frying pan.
Add a bit of olive oil and fry your pancetta cubes until they’re crispy.
Stir in the pancetta cubes and the grated parmesan
Once your risotto is ready, stir in the cooked pancetta cubes and the grated parmesan cheese.
Enjoy this delicious squash and pancetta risotto for your next family dinner!
Squash and pancetta risotto
Ingredients
Roasted butternut squash
- ¼ large butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
Risotto
- Roast squash (see previous step) cubed
- 100 grams Arborio rice
- 20 grams Parmesan grated
- ½ bunch fresh sage leaves (10 grams)
- ¼ large onion diced
- ½ garlic clove minced
- 400 mls chicken or vegetable stock warm
- 20 grams unsalted butter
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 77 grams pancetta cubes
Instructions
Roast butternut squash
-
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
-
Peel and chop the butternut squash into slices and place in a bowl.
-
Add the olive oil, some salt and pepper and mix until coated.
-
Lay the pieces out on an oven dish so that each piece has its own space.
-
Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and soft throughout.
Make the risotto
-
Warm the chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan. Set aside.
-
In a frying pan add half the butter (10 grams) and melt on a low heat.
-
Add in the diced onion or shallot, the crushed garlic and stir for 1-2 minutes until softened.
-
Add in the chopped sage leaves and stir.
-
Add in the other half of the butter (10 grams) and melt. Then stir in the Arborio rice and stir it constantly until it’s coated with the butter.
-
Chop the roasted butternut squash pieces into cubes and stir them into the risotto.
-
Add 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice.
-
Add in a ladle of the warm stock to the pan and bring to the boil.
-
Keep stirring and adding stock a ladle at a time as the liquid simmers 10-15 minutes. You want the rice to be cooked through but still slightly al-dente.
-
In a separate pan add 1 teaspoon olive oil and cook the pancetta cubes on a low heat until crispy.
-
Stir the crispy pancetta cubes and grated parmesan into the risotto just before serving. Enjoy this tasty family meal!
