Butternut Squash Risotto

This easy butternut squash risotto is perfect for autumn dinners. Combine squash, chilli and sage for a delicious seasonal risotto.

I tend to make my risottos using olive oil instead of butter so this risotto can also easily be vegan.

That said you can also add pancetta if you want to add an extra layer of flavour, its saltiness pairs perfectly with the sweetness of butternut squash.

I’ve used Riso Gallo’s Traditional Risotto Rice, a sustainable choice. Riso Gallo is the first international brand in the sector to have undertaken the production of rice from sustainable agriculture, making their premium risotto rices fully Sustainable.

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Butternut Squash Risotto

Servings: 2

Recipe by: Cooking & Carafes

Prep time: 15 MinCooking time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This seasonal squash risotto is perfect for autumn days, and can be made vegan

Ingredients

• 200g Riso Gallo Traditional Risotto Rice 
• 275g of butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 small onion or shallot, finely chopped
• 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock   
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• Bunch of fresh sage leaves
• 3 tbsps of olive oil or 65g butter
• Glass of white wine (optional)   
• Parmesan or alternative hard cheese (optional) 
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees.
2. Peel and dice your squash into 1 - 1.5cm pieces. Place in a baking tray, drizzle in olive oil, add 1/2 tsp of chilli flakes. Using a spoon mix the squash so it's coated in olive oil and chilli flakes, then scatter with 10 sage leaves.
3. Place in the oven and cook for at least 30 minutes.
4. While the squash is cooking, prep your other ingredients.
5. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil (or 40g butter) to a large flat based pan and add your finely chopped onion. Cook gently on a low heat for at least 5 minutes or until softened. Don't let your onion burn.
6. Increase the heat, add your risotto rice, coat it in the olive oil and keep the rice morning. This is called the tostatura, it helps to cook the rice perfectly al dente, by sealing the grains of rice.
7. Add a small glass of white wine, if you prefer not to cook with alcohol you can add splash of stock, stir the rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
8. Turn the heat down and add 200ml or a ladleful of hot stock to the pan and continue to stir until all the liquid is absorbed.
9. Repeat the process by adding another 200ml of stock each time until absorbed. Keep stirring to ensure the starch released doesn’t cause the rice to stick together.
10. After your squash has been cooking for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and using half of the cooked squash, gently mash it with a fork or masher to form a rough puree. Add this to the risotto and stir through.
11. Remove the risotto from the heat and add a good grating of parmesan, and either 25g of butter or olive oil, stir, and place a lid (or plate) over your pan and allow it to rest for two minutes.
12. This is the mantacatura – when you add fat such as olive oil, butter or cheese to give the risotto its distinct glossiness and taste.
13. Plate up and top with the leftover squash and sage leaves, and top with extra parmesan. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

730.24

Fat (grams)

49.33

Sat. Fat (grams)

20.39

Carbs (grams)

53.32

Fibre (grams)

5.15

Net carbs

48.17

Sugar (grams)

6.82

Protein (grams)

8.79

Sodium (milligrams)

21.01

Cholesterol (grams)

75.89

Did you make this recipe?

Don't forget to tag @cookingcarafes #

This recipe is from one of my Cook Alongs and is part of a paid sponsorship with Riso Gallo.

Riso Gallo brings you the best Italian Risotto Rice selected from the best rice fields of the Po Valley, motherland of Risotto and Risotto Rice. Riso Gallo guarantees the origin of the rice from selected rice farms; the traditional stone husking using "Amburgo" model whitening machines (dating from 1898); and a careful grain-by-grain selection process.

Find out more about Riso Gallo

Taste of Christmas Tagliatelle

This recipe was originally created for a feature with Kitchen Conversations. It was a festive inspired pasta dish, using some of the flavours and foods I love at Christmas, from soft, creamy blue cheese like dolce latte, to crispy pancetta and a twist of cranberry sauce!

Taste of Christmas Tagliatelle

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Serves: 2 | Nutrition: 757 calories per serving

---

Ingredients

• 1/2 red onion, finely sliced
• 75g chestnut mushrooms (sliced)
• 75g dolce latte cheese cut roughly into pieces
• 150g - 175g tagliatelle (homemade tagliatelle tastes best!)
• 4 slices of pancetta
• 2 tbsps creme fraiche
• 100ml white wine (optional)
• 1 tsp cranberry sauce
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Pancetta and breadcrumbs If you want to save on washing up I recommend doing this at the start of the dish so you can use the same pan (drain any fat after cooking the pancetta), alternatively use a second frying pan and cook alongside the sauce, and pasta.

1. Add a splash of olive oil in a pan and on a high heat, add the breadcrumbs and cook for 2 minutes until toasted (you can also add finely chopped rosemary or thyme). Put to one side in a small bowl.
2. Fry the pancetta until crispy and place to one side on a plate.

Tagliatelle and sauce

1. Bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta (you can use dried, fresh or homemade!)
2. Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to a pan on a low heat, add the finely sliced red onions and cook, gently moving around the pan for about 5 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the mushrooms. Once they start to soften add the white wine (or a splash of pasta water) and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. On a low heat, add the dolce latte and creme fraiche to the pan, and stir to create a creamy sauce.
5. Allow the sauce to gently simmer.
6. While preparing the sauce, cook your pasta until al dente.
7. Add 1 tsp of cranberry to the sauce and stir in. If you can get a cranberry sauce with orange, and/or port added to it, it will add that extra festive twist (Tracklements and Stokes do ones like these)
8. Drain your pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, don’t worry if there is a little bit of pasta water still with the pasta, this will help make the sauce even creamer and cling to the pasta.
9. Stir the pasta into the sauce, and plate up.
10. Top with the pancetta and breadcrumbs for a delicious finishing touch.

One Pot Pasta with Garofalo

This easy recipe is perfect for a mid week meal with very little washing up! Using some simple ingredients and a kick of chilli, this fiery tomato sauce combines with Casarecce Pasta from Garofalo beautifully. Top with Mozzarella for a creamy, cheesy finish or use a vegan alternative.

This recipe can be made suitable for both vegans and vegetarians.

One Pot Pasta with Garofalo

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Serves: 2-3 | Nutrition: 723 calorioes per portion (based on 2 servings)

---

Ingredients

• 200g Casarecce Garofalo Pasta
• 200g Passata
• 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 Onion
• 100g spinach or kale, chopped
• 1 small courgette or 60g mushrooms, quartered
• Olive Oil
• Chilli flakes / Fresh chilli / 15g nduja paste or 1 tbsp nduja pesto
• Dried herbs like Italian mixed, oregano, basil
• 1 ball of mozzarella cheese

• Fresh basil

• If you would like to add meat to this dish I would suggest two sausages, skinned

Method

Use a large casserole dish or saucepan suitable for the hob

1. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the saucepan/casserole dish, and slowly cook the diced onion for five minutes, along with one red chilli, finely chopped, plus 1 tsp of dried herbs. If you’re adding sausages add these now.

2. Next add your chopped spinach/kale and courgette or mushrooms, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Then add your chilli flakes or nduja, a splash of white wine(optional), stir

4. Add 200ml of passata, 300ml of chicken stock, add the pasta and stir. If you’re using mozzarella to top your pasta bake, reserve the water and you can also add this with the stock.

5. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer put the lid on. Stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes, if it starts to look a little dry add a splash of water.

6. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, turn off the heat and tear or slice the mozzarella on top. Replace the lid for a few minutes to allow it to start to slowly soften and melt into the sauce. Season with pepper, top with basil leaves and serve.

More about Garofalo Pasta

Garofalo has been making pasta in Gragnano, a small town near Naples in Italy since 1789 and they have a huge amount of history, experience and passion for Pasta. Today they combine artisan knowledge with modern technology to make what they consider the best possible pasta. 

Garofalo is a premium Italian Wheat pasta made with only two ingredients, wheat and water.  You can’t produce excellent pasta if the best wheat is not used. They only choose wheat that, in addition to a specific gluten level, offers a particular colour, cleanliness and flavour characteristics. These are essential to give Pasta Garofalo its distinctive character. 

Garofalo pasta has a rough porous surface due to the dough passing through a bronze die to form each shape, allowing the sauce to stick and absorb into the cooked pasta for the perfect mouthful of pasta and sauce! 

Within their wheat pasta ranges are traditional wheat pasta, organic whole wheat pasta and organic traditional wheat pasta.  In addition, there’s an excellent gluten free range of pasta and a range of pasta shapes made with legumes and cereals which are perfect for anyone looking to maintain a healthy diet without compromising on taste, also gluten free.

All Garofalo dry pasta sold in the UK is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, containing no egg, even the gluten free pasta ranges. 

Discover more about how Garofalo pasta is made

Garofalo Pasta is widely available on Ocado and Amazon

Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese recipe can really easily be adapted to add your own favourite ingredients, which I’ve given options for in the ingredients. Mix it up to include things you love, or simple ingredients you have at home.

I’ve been making variations of macaroni cheese for years now, trialling different methods and variations of ingredients, but this is the winner for me. My favourite is using truffle oil, pancetta, porcini mushrooms and topping with coppa; it combines all of my favourites. I’m also a sucker for cauliflower cheese so sometimes I like to add this in too.

Make it your own Mac and Cheese

Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10-15 minutes | Serves: 3 - 4 | Nutrition: 629 calorioes per portion (based on 4 servings)

---

Ingredients

For the cheese sauce

• 1tbsp truffle oil or other flavoured oil (optional)
• 50g butter
• 50g flour
• 500ml milk
• 100g cheddar, grated
• Salt and pepper

For the pasta

• 250g macaroni or other short pasta

Optional ingredients

• 70g diced pancetta
• 100g mushrooms or 15g porcini mushrooms (soaked)
• Broccoli / Cauliflower / Spinach /

For finishing

• 25g breadcrumbs
• Coppa slices (optional) for finishing
• Parmesan for grating
• Fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.

2. In an oven dish approx 15cm x 25cm, spread out the pancetta and allow to cook in the oven for five minutes. If you are adding fresh mushrooms, once some of the fat has started to come out, add the mushroom and give a stir in the juice and return to the oven for another 10 minutes while the pancetta continues to cook. Once the pancetta is browning remove from the oven.

3. While that is cooking, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Salt the water and add your pasta. If you’re adding cauliflower of broccoli, add small florets to the pasta water and cook all together. If you’re using fresh spinach, steam this over the pasta at the same time.

4. While the pasta is cooking, on a low heat melt the butter, add the truffle oil and then add the flour and quickly whisk to make a roux. It will turn into a buttery brown paste. Add half of the cold milk and whisk together and increase the heat a little. Keep adding a little milk and gently whisking, to allow the sauce to thicken. As it thickens, add the cheese and continue to stir until a consistency of double cream. Season with salt and pepper.

5. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta (and any cauliflower/broccoli), try to reserve a little pasta water so you can easily move around the dish with the pancetta to combine.

6. If you have added cauliflower I recommend returning to the pasta pan first and mashing lightly with a masher before adding to the baking dish.

7. Add the pasta to the baking dish. If you’re using steamed spinach or porcini mushrooms, add these now.

8. Then pour over the cheese sauce and combine together.

9. Top with breadcrumbs, and I like to top with some coppa that will crisp up in the oven. Finally finish with a grating of parmesan and some fresh herbs.

10. Put into the oven for 10-15 minutes until browning on top, you can always increase the heat to 200 degrees for the last 5 minutes.

11. Serve with a simple side salad.

Italian Style Crispbreads

These tasty crispbreads make a great alternative to breadsticks, crackers or bread and are great for adding tasty toppings. They’re perfect for adding to a sharing platter or serving up as a snack or starter. They taste great on their own, with dips like black olive tapenade or with a topping like I have here.

Italian Style Crispbreds

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 6-8 minutes | Makes: 16 crispbreads / Serves 6 - 8 | Nutrition: 26 calories per crispbread

---

Ingredients

• 60g Strong Bread Flour (white, or 50/50)
• 60g semolina flour
• Pinch of salt
• 100ml luke warm water
• Dried herbs e.g. oregano or chilli flakes

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees
2. Combine the two flours and salt in a bowl and add the majority of the water. Bring the flour and water together to create a dough
3. If needed add a little more water to combine all the flour
4. Knead for five minutes until smooth
5. Then cut off a small piece of dough, smaller than a golf ball, and flatten with your hand
6. Then roll through a pasta machine or with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape about 0.5cm thick
7. Place on a greased baking tray and brush the tops with extra virgin olive oil, and decorate with a little salt, dried herbs such as oregano or chilli flakes
8. Bake for 6-8 mins until lightly browning and crisp

How to serve

Serve on their own or try topping with different ingredients. I’ve added a few chopped tomatoes, some rocket leaves, shavings of delicious 24 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and some basil leaves. You could also top with tomatoes and pesto, or what about some homemade caponata or tapenade. Get creative and add your favourites.