Oven-Baked Butternut Pumpkin Risotto with Pancetta Crispy Sage

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp The Good Oil

1 brown onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups arborio rice (300g)

¼ cup white wine (optional)

800g butternut pumpkin, peeled and diced

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Zest of ½ lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp The Good Oil

2 tbsp butter

8-10 fresh sage leaves

1 tbsp The Good Oil

80g pancetta

¼ cup shaved or finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat butter and 3 tbsp The Good Oil in a large flame-proof, oven-proof dish with a lid, on medium-high heat. If you don’t have one, just use a pot and transfer mix to an oven-proof casserole dish with a lid in step 4. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Add rice and toast, stirring constantly to coat in the oil for 1-2 minutes, until semi translucent.

Add wine and stir continuously until evaporated, about 1 minute (skip this step if you do not want to use wine).

Add the pumpkin and stir to coat well. Pour over stock and stir to combine. Let the liquid warm up and take it off the heat, just as it comes to a simmer.

Put the lid on or cover tightly with foil if you don’t have a lid, or if using a pot, transfer to an oven-proof dish with a lid or foil.

Place in the oven and cook for about 25 minutes, until rice is just tender. If rice is still not cooked add ¼ cup water/stock, stir and return to oven, covered for 5 more minutes.

Once cooked, stir through Parmesan cheese until pumpkin becomes creamy. Stir through lemon zest and juice and season to taste.

While risotto cooks, melt butter and 2 tbsp The Good Oil in a small frying pan on medium-high heat. Once it foams add the sage leaves, a few at a time and stir gently to coat. Fry for about 30 seconds, until the oil stops bubbling around the leaves. If leaves start to turn brown turn the heat down to medium. Remove straight away and drain on a paper towel. The leaves will crisp up once removed from the hot butter/oil while they cool down. Reserve sage butter/oil to serve.

Heat 1 tbsp The Good Oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook for 4-5 minutes each side until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

Serve risotto in bowls sprinkled with crispy pancetta and sage and drizzled with brown butter oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Tips – use bacon if you’d prefer instead of pancetta. Leave sage off for little ones. When your risotto is perfectly cooked, the grains should be soft with a slight amount of bite to them with near-like porridge consistency. Enjoy!