RECIPES WITH COOKED SQUASH RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180ºC fan/gas 6. Toss the squash on a baking tray with 1 tbsp of the oil and some salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile, tip the rice and lentils into a sieve and rinse under cold water for a few minutes or until the water turns from cloudy to clear.
• Heat the remaining oil in a saucepan, add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and spices, then cook for 1 minute. Stir in the lentils, rice and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook over a low-medium heat, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring regularly. Add a splash more water if it starts to thicken too much.
• Stir the spinach into the rice and let it wilt for a couple of minutes. Season to taste, then share among bowls, top with the squash/pumpkin and, if you like, serve with yogurt, chilli flakes and lime wedges for squeezing

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Toss the squash in 1 tbsp oil together with the chopped sage. Scatter into a shallow roasting tin and roast for 30 mins until brown and soft.
• While the squash is roasting, prepare the risotto. Bring the stock to the boil and keep on a low simmer. In a separate pan, melt half the butter over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook gently for 8-10 mins until soft but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Stir the rice into the onions until completely coated in the butter, then stir continuously until the rice is shiny and the edges of the grain start to look transparent.
• Pour in the wine and simmer until completely evaporated. Add the stock, a ladleful at a time, and stirring the rice over a low heat for 25-30 mins, until the rice is cooked al dente (with a slightly firm, starchy bite in the middle). The risotto should be creamy and slightly soupy.
• At the same time, gently fry the whole sage leaves in a little olive oil until crisp, then set aside on kitchen paper. When the squash is cooked, mash half of it to a rough purée and leave half whole. When the risotto is just done, stir through the purée, then add the cheese and remaining butter and leave to rest for a few minutes. Serve the risotto scattered with the whole chunks of squash and the crisp sage leaves.