Butternut and Mushroom Risotto

Name: Apron & Atlas
Telephone: +27 72 601 8907

On a chilly day, a comforting warm dish that lifts the spirits.

Ingredients

Heat the oven to 190–200°C.
Season the half butternut squash with salt, pepper and a few drops of olive oil, and roast it for 45 minutes to an hour.
In the meantime, chop the onion, garlic and mushrooms.
In a pot, add olive oil and sweat the onion and garlic.
When the squash is cooked, scoop out the flesh and turn it into a purée.
Add the Carnaroli rice to the pot and cook it until it turns translucent, then add the glass of wine.
Stir it through the rice and, 5 minutes after it has reduced, add the squash purée to the pot.
Separately, in a pan with a little butter, turn the mushrooms golden and keep them for later.
Stir the risotto, add chopped parsley, and after 20 minutes add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Stir for 5 minutes more and it is ready to serve. A few small cubes of butter at the end will bring some gloss to it.
To dress, put the risotto on the plate with the golden mushrooms on top, some slices of Parmigiano and a leaf of parsley. Enjoy it with a delicate white wine.

I cook dishes like this one in people's homes across Cape Town.