ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND SQUASH RISOTTO
Forget spending an evening at the stove stirring risotto, just sit back and relax. These flavours are an Italian match made in heaven – this makes plenty for second helpings!
Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 2hr. Serves 6
1 butternut squash (about 1kg/2lb 3½oz) 2tbsp olive oil 2tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed 2 sprigs rosemary 400g pack your favourite pork sausages, we used Cumberland 1 onion, finely chopped 2 sticks celery, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, crushed 300g (11oz) risotto rice, we used Gallo Vialone Nano 200ml (⅓ pint) white wine 1 litre (1¾ pint) hot chicken stock 75g (3oz) Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve 1 tbsp mascarpone, plus extra to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Peel the squash, then halve and deseed, and cut the bulbous section into long wedges. Toss the wedges into a roasting tin with 1tbsp oil and 1tsp fennel seeds, add one sprig rosemary and season. Roast for 25-30min. Set aside, then reduce oven to 140°C (120°C fan) mark 1. Chop the remaining squash into 1cm (½in) dice and set aside. 2 Meanwhile, heat a large casserole until hot, squeeze sausage meat from the casing and add to the pan along with remaining fennel seeds, fry for 5min, breaking up with a spoon until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside. 3 Reduce the heat to low and add remaining olive oil to the casserole with the onion and celery and cook for 10min, partially covered until softened. Stir in the diced squash and garlic and cook for a further min. Increase the heat, stir in the rice and cook for 2-3min until just turning translucent. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble. 4 Add 800ml (1⅓ pint) of the stock and remaining rosemary sprig, and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven at the reduced temperature for 30min. 5 Remove from the oven – the rice should have absorbed the stock and the squash should be almost tender. Stir in the remaining stock, Parmesan, mascarpone and half the sausage meat. Top with squash wedges and remaining sausage meat, cover with the lid and return to the oven for a further 10min until the rice is al dente. 6 Serve with extra mascarpone and grated Parmesan.
PER SERVING 602cals, 22g protein, 27g fat (11g saturates), 59g carbs (9g total sugars), 6g fibre
GH TIP Make it veggie: omit the sausage, swap the Parmesan for vegetarian hard cheese, use vegetable stock, and add some toasted pinenuts or walnuts to finish.