I made this as an accompaniment to lamb with herb stuffing but it would be very good as a vegetarian meal. Very finely chopped rosemary could be used instead of sage. I think it works best as a creamy risotto but if you like yours to be firm just omit the cream at the end and make sure you dd the stock very slowly towards the end of cooking to ensure there is not too much liquid.

Ingredients (per person for a main meal)

• 2-3 handfuls arborio or other risotto rice
• 1/2 small butternut squash, chopped into small (about an inch wide) cubes
• Olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• a small handful of sage very finely chopped
• up to 400 ml vegetable stock
• lots of parmesan (about 40g)

Method

1. Fry the squash and garlic in the oil over a very low heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion and fry until it is soft.
3. Add the rice and half the sage and fry for 3-4 minutes until some of the oil has been absorbed by the rice.
4. Add enough stock to just cover the rice. Keep stirring until it has been absorbed.
5. Add a little more stock and stir until absorbed.
6. Repeat step 4 until the rice is cooked (just test a few grains to check.) 
7. Add the rest of the sage and mix well.
8. Grate in about 30-40g parmesan.
9. Add a little cream (15-20 ml).
10. Stir until the parmesan has melted and everything is well mixed.