Bacon and butternut squash risotto

This is a delicious, seasonal recipe using only a few ingredients, many of which will be in your store cupboard. Not really one for a dinner party since it needs constant stirring. The result is well worth it though! I have adapted the recipe below from one found on the BBC's food website.

Bacon and butternut squash risotto - serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 125g bacon or pancetta
• 1 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large butternut squash - buy it a few days in advance and store it on the counter, not in the fridge, so it can ripen
• 2 glasses white wine
• 400g arborio risotto rice
• Olive oil
• Sage - fresh (15 leaves) or dried (2 tbsp)
• Butter
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock - keep it simmering gently in a pan as you make the risotto
• About 125g grated parmesan cheese
• Handful of pinenuts (optional)

Method

1. At least 1.5 hours before you want to serve: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Peel the squash. Cut it into four chunks (one cut width-wise and one length-wise). Remove the seeds using a spoon - don't be afraid to give it a good scrape to get the stringy flesh out. Cut the squash into 2-inch chunks. Roughly chop the garlic cloves. Put the garlic and squash into a roasting dish, drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle over about 1 tbsp of dried sage (or about 7 chopped fresh sage leaves), and season with sea salt and ground pepper. Toss the whole lot together with your hands. Roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the squash is softened.
2. Once the squash is cooked, lightly mash it with a fork and set aside.
3. Chop the onion and the bacon. Heat 2 tbsps olive oil plus a generous knob of butter in a heavy-based large saucepan. Gently fry the onion and bacon until the onion is soft and the bacon browned.
4. Add the rice and stir for about a minute until the grains are coated with the oil.
5. Pour in the wine. Stir continuously until it has all been absorbed into the rice.
6. Add a ladle of hot stock and a tbsp dried sage and stir continuously until the stock has been absorbed. This should be done over a low to medium heat.
7. Keep adding ladles of stock until it has all been used up. Keep stirring! After about 15-20 minutes the stock will all be used and the rice will be soft. The texture should be thick and creamy.
8. Remove the pan from the heat. Gently stir in the butternut squash and parmesan. Season to taste.
9. Cover with a lid and leave to stand for two minutes.
10. If you like, serve with some toasted pinenuts. While the risotto is standing, place a handful of pinenuts in a fairly hot frying pan. Move them around until they are golden.
11. Serve the risotto with extra grated parmesan.