Pumpkin risotto

If you’ve had enough of carving pumpkin lanterns, gather up your spares and try making this bewitchingly good Pumpkin Risotto instead…

Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 1 hour Serves: 4

You will need:

1 small pumpkin or butternut squash - after peeling and scraping out the seeds, you need about 400g/14oz

1 tbsp olive oil, plus a drizzle for the pumpkin

2 garlic cloves

8 spring onions

25g butter

200g risotto rice

2 tsp ground cumin

1l hot vegetable stock, plus extra splash if needed

50g grated parmesan

Small handful coriander, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. Chop up the pumpkin or squash into 1.5cm cubes (kids – ask for help if it’s slippery). Put it on a baking tray, drizzle over some oil, then roast for 30 mins.

2. While the pumpkin is roasting, you can make the risotto. Put the garlic in a sandwich bag, then bash it lightly with a rolling pin until it’s crushed. This is a nice easy way to get it ready to use.

3. Cut up the spring onions carefully using some scissors.

4. Heat 1 tbsp oil with the butter in your pan over a medium heat. Don’t let it get too hot. Add the spring onions and garlic to the pan. Once the onions are soft but not getting brown, add the rice and cumin. Stir it in well for about 1 min to coat the rice in the buttery mix.

5. Now add half a cup of the stock, and give the pan a stir every now and then until the liquid has all disappeared into the rice. Carry on adding and stirring in a large splash of stock at a time, until you have used up all the stock. This should take about 20 mins.

6. Check the rice is cooked. If it isn’t, add a splash more stock, and carry on cooking for a bit. Once the rice is soft enough to eat, gently stir in the grated Parmesan, chopped coriander and roasted pumpkin.

Our tip: Try this as a refreshing alternative to pumpkin soup for all those leftovers.