Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto with Sage & Prosciutto
Risotto is high up on my list of top comfort foods. This lovely roasted squash risotto is full of colour and flavour. You get sweetness from the squash, a bold, herby taste from the sage and saltiness from the prosciutto. Topping it up with roasted pumpkin seeds adds extra bite! If you prefer a vegetarian version you can simply leave the prosciutto out and salt the roasted pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
Serves 6 people
500 g arborio rice (risotto rice)
1 large butternut squash
1 large onion
3 garlic gloves
1.3 l chicken broth
250 ml white wine
100 g grated parmesan cheese
150 g parma ham slices
2 handful sage leaves
30 g pumpkin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
olive oil & butter
salt & pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
To toast the pumpkin seeds, heat up a pan on medium heat and add 30 g pumpkin seeds. Keep tossing as they easily burn. After few minutes you will hear them “pop”. Pour them in a small bowl and set aside for later.
Peel the squash, cut into small cubes and place on a roasting tray.
Mix 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes, 5 chopped sage leaves and drizzle them over the tray. Toss it all together until the squash is coated. Bake for 45-60 minutes until squash is softened. Remove the tray from the oven and mash up a third using a fork, then let it cool down.
Peel and finely chop the onion and 3 garlic gloves.
Heat up 3 tbsp olive oil and a knob of butter in a sauce pan then add onions and garlic. Fry on low heat until softened.
Meanwhile: Heat up 1.3 l broth.
Add 500 g arborio rice to the onions and increase the heat. Let fry for 2 minutes.
Add 250 ml white wine. When the wine has cooked into the risotto, add about 200 ml broth, 1/2 tsp salt and the mashed third of the squash.
Let the rice simmer on low heat and keep stirring regularly. Add more broth when the previous 200 ml has absorbed. Keep doing this until the rice has softened - but still has some bite to it. If you run out of broth just add more boiling water.
Add the squash cubes, a knob of butter and 100 g grated parmesan. Stir under and add salt and pepper to taste. Take off the heat, place a lid on the pan and let sit for 5 minutes.
Pull 150 g parma ham slices into 5 cm pieces then crease them together into balls. Heat up a frying pan and fry the parma for 3-5 minutes depending how crispy you like it. If your parma ham is very lean you can add a drizzle of oil.
To fry the sage leaves, coat the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil and heat up to high heat. (you can use the same pan you used for the parma ham just give it a wipe with kitchen roll). Add the sage leaves when the oil sizzles and let it fry for 30 seconds. Take them out using tongs and sprinkle with sea salt immediately. Keep the oil in the pan.
Serve risotto onto plates then garnish with a few fried sage leaves and some parma ham. Drizzle some of the oil which you fried the sage in over the risotto for more sage flavour. Serve the risotto with the toasted pumpkin seeds and more parmesan.
Buon Appetito!
