Butternut And Feta Risotto Recipes

BUTTERNUT AND FETA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Coat the whole garlic cloves and squash well in the olive oil and thyme. Roast for about 25 minutes, turning everything over once. Take the garlic out of its papery skin but leave it whole. Throw away the thyme.
• Meanwhile, heat the stock in a saucepan until it is simmering, then leave it over low heat. Melt the butter in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan, then gently cook the onion until it is soft, but not browned. Add the rice, reduce the heat to low ad stir well to coat all the grains of rice in the butter.
• Add the wine (or lemon water) to the rice, turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring the rice, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the hot stock, a couple of ladles at a time, stirring continuously so that the rice cooks evenly and releases some of its starch. This is what gives risotto a creamy consistency.
• Once all the stock is added, taste the rice to see if it is al dente (slightly firm). It is impossible to gauge the exact amount of liquid you will need as every risotto will be a little different. If the rice is not yet cooked and you have run out of stock, use water. Stop cooking the rice as soon as it is soft but still has a little texture or bite in the middle of the grain.
• Taste the risotto and add seasoning if it needs it.
• Stir in the butternut squash, garlic, parsley and feta, squashing the vegetables slightly as you stir. Serve with grated Parmesan.

ROAST PUMPKIN AND FETA RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush a baking dish with olive oil.
• Place pumpkin in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender but still firm. Transfer pumpkin to baking dish, and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a saucepan. Cook onion and garlic until tender. Stir in rice, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add vegetable broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing all the liquid to be absorbed before adding more broth. Continue cooking until the rice is tender to the tooth, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When the pumpkin is almost done, place feta on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven until the cheese is hot, and is beginning to melt along the edges.
• Mash 1/2 of the pumpkin, and stir into the risotto with the spinach. Ladle risotto into bowls, and top with remaining pumpkin cubes and heated feta.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & SAGE RISOTTO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until brown and soft.
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook gently for 8-10 mins until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
• Pour in the wine and simmer until completely evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy.
• At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir through the purée, then add the cheese and remaining butter and leave to rest for a few minutes. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash and the crisp sage leaves.