Butternut Squash, Sage and Crispy Bacon Risotto

This is comfort food at its best. I use the term comfort food a lot and I mean the type of food that just makes you feel all warm and satisfied, that kicks a winter's evening up the arse, that, as my father used to say, 'would warm the cockles of your heart'. I just think that butternut squash is an unsung hero as it is a wonderfully versatile vegetable and keeps so well in storage without going off. It helps protect against cancer, heart disease and mental dysfunction, and also encourages healthy skin, muscles and nerves ... in other words give it a cape and red underpants and you have an all-round hero!

FEEDS 2

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

2 shallots

2 cloves of garlic

8–10 sage leaves

Olive oil

200g Arborio rice

1 glass dry white wine

700ml chicken or vegetable stock

8 rashers of streaky bacon

1 tablespoon low-fat cream cheese

Black pepper to season

Method

• Peel and halve the butternut squash lengthways. Using a spoon scoop out the seeds and fibres from the cavity of each half and discard. Carefully cut the butternut squash into small bite-sized cubes – I say carefully because it can be quite tough to cut through when uncooked!

• Peel and dice the shallots and garlic as finely as possible and roll up and chop the sage leaves.

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and gently fry the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes. Add in the chopped sage and fry off for a further 2 minutes.

• Pour in the rice and stir around for a minute to gently toast, turn up the heat a little and add the wine. Stir frequently and once the wine is absorbed add the cubed squash, then add a ladle and a half of the stock. Again, stir frequently until the stock is absorbed. Pour in another ladle of the stock and repeat. Continue adding the stock ladle by ladle, each time it is fully absorbed.

• In the meantime crisp up the bacon under a hot grill for 2–3 minutes on each side, then set aside on some kitchen paper.

• When the stock is all absorbed in the risotto, remove it from the heat and stir in the low-fat cream cheese, season with freshly crushed black pepper and divide between two bowls. Cut up the bacon with clean scissors and sprinkle it over the top.

  Tip: Keep the stock warm in a separate saucepan on a low/medium heat. It cuts cooking time and makes the risotto come together better.