Buon Appetito!

At the beginning of the week I used a large butternut squash to make lots of soup. It has been very warming on these cold days. I kept some back to make Nigel Slater’s Risotto, recently featured on his “Dish of the Day” programme. I modified his recipe slightly.

I thought Nigel’s risotto looked a little anaemic – and I don’t eat Parmesan anyway- so I added a chopped red pepper and a few sliced mushrooms, and a few chopped spring onion tops for a garnish. Bob had Parmesan on his.

Ingredients

• 400ml/14floz leftover butternut squash soup

• 200ml/7 fl oz stock

• 4 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion chopped

• I red pepper diced

• 3 mushrooms, sliced

• 200g/7 oz arborio rice

• 4 tbsp grated parmesan, spring onion tops for garnish

Preparation method

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan over a low heat and soften the onion, mushrooms, and peppers. Add the rice to the pan. Cook through for five minutes.

2. Ladle half the soup and stock into the rice pan, stir and allowing the rice to absorb the liquid. Cook over a low heat for 8 minutes. Stir in remaining liquid, stir and simmer a further 6 minutes till all liquid is absorbed.

3. Serve sprinkled with grated parmesan and spring onion tops

It was very filling, easy to make, and we both enjoyed it!