Squash and Gorgonzola Risotto

I'm fighting against risotto's basic reputation and bringing you a recipe for a really rather sexy one.

I know that risotto these days doesn’t have the sexiest reputation, but a good risotto is silky and buttery, with a nice amount of bite from the rice, and a starchy, saucy situation coating it. I find this to not only be very soothing, but also quite sexy. Sue me! Squash + blue cheese + hazelnuts + sage is forever a winning combo, too.

Serves 4

1 medium sized butternut squash

1 onion

30g butter

1/2 small bunch of sage

2 cloves of garlic

320g arborio risotto rice

1.2l stock (chicken or veg)

110g gorgonzola

30g parmesan, plus more to serve

40g blanched hazelnuts

salt, pepper and olive oil

1. Heat your oven to 200°C fan.

2. Peel your squash, then halve it and scoop out the seeds. Chop it into chunks. Toss the squash into a roasting tray, with a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil, then roast it for about 30-40 minutes, until it is deeply caramelised and soft.

3. Meanwhile, peel and finely dice your onion.

4. Add your butter to a large saute pan over a medium heat. Once it has melted, add your sage leaves. Cook these for about a minute until they crisp up, then remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set them aside until later.

5. Warm up your stock in the microwave or in a saucepan.

6. Add your chopped onion to the butter in the pan (the butter may be a little browned at this point, but that will make it even more delicious). Cook it over a gentle heat for 20 minutes until it has softened, but not taken on too much colour. Grate your garlic into the pan, and cook it out for a minute.

7. Add your risotto rice to the pan and lightly toast it in the butter for a few minutes, until the grains start to turn translucent.

8. Gradually add your stock in small increments to the rice. Stir all the while to allow your rice grains to absorb the stock before adding more liquid. It should take about 25 minutes for all your stock to be added and your rice to be tender.

9. Whilst your rice cooks, pour your hazelnuts into a small baking dish and bake them for 8-10 minutes until golden.

10. Remove your squash from the oven, and mash it up with a fork. Once your rice is cooked, add this to the risotto pan, and give it a good mix. Add more water if you need to get it to a loose, spoonable consistency.

11. 80g of your gorgonzola, as well as your parmesan, then season it to taste with salt and pepper.

12. Spoon your risotto into bowls, then top it with your remaining gorgonzola blobs, crispy sage leaves, hazelnuts, more parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil, if you like. Serve it up.