2 delicata squashes
1 large shallot, diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
2 tbsp of red pepper flakes
1 cup of risotto rice
1 cup of dry white wine
8 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup of parmesan (plus more to serve)
6 large leaves of sage
flaky salt
begin by cutting both of the delicata squash in half lengthwise. scrape out the seeds with a spoon and discard the seeds.
next, take one of the halves and dice into one inch cubes. with the next half, slice horizontally, approximately half an inch apart, creating half moon shapes.
you should be left with 2 delicata halves, the delicata cubes and the delicata half moons. coat everything liberally with extra virgin olive oil, and spread evenly onto a baking sheet. make sure the 2 halves are baked flesh side down. season with salt and pepper to taste and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.
in a frying pan, add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil and the sage leaves and fry until just crisp (approximately 2 minutes). once cooked, set on some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil, and sprinkle liberally with salt. save the sage oil for later!
once the squash is fully cooked, set the cubes and half moons aside, as we will use them later. let the remaining delicata halves cool until cool enough to handle, then remove the roasted flesh from the skin and blend in a food processor until smooth. set aside.
now to begin the risotto! add the diced shallot and sliced garlic to a heavy bottomed pan (i like a dutch oven) with a little extra virgin olive oil, a tsp of salt and sauté over medium heat until translucent. you can add the red pepper flakes here too.
next add in the rice and let the rice toast in the pan with the garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes. you can now add in the cup of dry white wine and let the liquid cook off until almost gone.
add in the first cup of vegetable stock and stir into the rice. keep stirring until the liquid has almost absorbed. when the rice appears almost dry, add another cup of stock and repeat the process until all the stock has been used and the rice is plump and almost cooked through.
stir the blended delicata squash into the rice, this will help the risotto achieve an extremely creamy, unctuous consistency. next, stir in the cubes of squash and the cup of parmesan. check for seasoning again here. Serve the risotto in your favorite bowl, with a few pieces of the half moon delicata on top, a few sage leaves, more parmesan and a generous drizzle of the sage-infused extra virgin olive oil. enjoy!
