Butternut Squash & Bacon Risotto

Here's one of my latest healthy recipes using butternut squash / pumpkin.  Both marry superbly with bacon in this tasty risotto.  Enjoy!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
115g streaky bacon, chopped
1 butternut squash / pumpkin (about 900g, peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks)
1 cup arborio rice
750 ml chicken stock
40g freshly grated  Parmesan cheese.
1 tbsp fresh parsley
salt and pepper





Method



Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic for about 3-4minutes, stirring frequently until beginning to soften.  Add the bacon and continue frying until both the onion and bacon are lightly golden.

Add the squash or pumpkin and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Add the rice and stir fry for about 2 minutes.

Gradually add the hot stock and simmer, stirring frequently.

Add a little of the stock and stir well.  Simmer, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid.  The risotto should be bubble but not boil fiercely.

Add some more of the simmering stock and cook, stirring, until it is almost all absorbed.  Continue adding the stock in this way until the grains of rice are tender and the risotto is creamy but not runny.  Use smaller quantities of stock towards the end of cooking.  The risotto will take about 30 minutes to cook in total.
 
When the rice and squash are tender, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the grated Parmesan.  Sprinkle over the parsley and parmesan shavings and serve.