Pumpkin and Sage Risotto

Pumpkin makes a delicious flavouring for an Italian risotto. It’s inexpensive and in season from later summer onwards right through the autumn and into the cold winter months.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Put the pumpkin in a single layer on the lined baking tray and spray lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, or until tender.

3. Meanwhile, heat the The 1:1 Diet Golden Vegetable Drink or stock in a saucepan over a medium to high heat. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down as low as it will go and leave to simmer very gently.

4. Lightly spray a deep frying pan and set over a low heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the rice and, when all the grains are glistening and start to crackle, increase the heat to medium and add the vermouth or wine – it will hiss and steam. Cook for 5 minutes until the liquid evaporates and is absorbed by the rice.

5. Reduce the heat to low and start adding the warm stock, a ladleful at a time. Stir well and wait for it to be absorbed before adding another ladleful. Continue until the rice is tender but still retains a little bite (al dente) and all or most of the stock has been added. Remove from the heat.

6. Mash the pumpkin coarsely with a potato masher or fork and stir into the risotto.

7. Serve in shallow bowls, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Step it up…

On Step 5, use 300g butternut squash instead of pumpkin, and stir in 50g vacuum packed peeled chestnuts (chopped) and 200g baby spinach leaves 5 minutes before the end of cooking. This will add 1g fat and 17g carbs per serving.