Oven baked risotto

Serves

4 People

Cooking Time

45 minutes

Season

Autumn

Winter

Dietary

Vegan

Vegetarian

Recipe by Chloe Edwards of Seven Sisters' Spices.

"Quick & easy, with no endless stirring, this dish does most of the cooking on its own. It's also a recipe that can withstand much improvisation, add any other odds and ends of veg you want to use up before your next veg box arrives! "

Ingredients

500g squash, peeled & cut into 3cm dice
150g shallots (or small onions), peeled & quartered
3 cloves of garlic, sliced or crushed
300g Arborio risotto rice
1 litre stock
100ml of white wine (optional)
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
Torn basil leaves & chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Parmesan cheese/grated lemon zest/ chilli oil to finish

Method

Step 1
Preheat your oven to 180c (160c fan).
In a large roasting tray lay out the diced squash & quartered shallots so they lie in a single layer. Drizzle generously with a tablespoon or two of olive oil & season well with salt & pepper. Pop in the top of your hot oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2

While the squash is cooking heat another couple of tablespoons of olive oil (or some butter if you prefer) in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Once hot add the rice and stir until it is all well coated, add the wine (if using) then 100ml of stock and stir well, you want to encourage the rice to start releasing its starch. Once the stock has evaporated add a little more, stir well again – the liquid should be starting to thicken around the rice grains now. Add the chopped or crushed garlic, stir & cook for a minute or 2 until the garlic becomes fragrant, add the remaining stock to the pan, stir well.

Step 3

This should take about 10 minutes & so by now your squash & shallots will be softening a little and taking on a some colour. Remove the tray from the oven and add the rice & stock from the pan, gently stir together being careful not to bash the squash too hard. Scatter the tomatoes & herbs over the top of the rice.
Cover the tray with a tight lid of foil and return to the middle of the oven, bake for 30 minutes.

Step 4

After 30 minutes remove the tray from the oven and carefully lift off the foil – there will be a lot of hot steam underneath. Gently stir the risotto and check that the rice is cooked to your liking. If not add another 100ml of boiling water or stock to the pan and return to the oven uncovered for another 5 minutes.