Butternut Squash Two Ways

my favourite autumn veg

Anyone who keeps tabs on the frequency of my newsletter will have noticed that I’ve been quite quiet on the Substack front for the last few weeks. If the ding of this email landing in your mail is a weekly highlight, then I apologise for the radio silence. If it’s just another automatic subscription email clogging up your inbox, then you are most welcome for the hiatus.

It’s been a crazy few weeks. Between hosting my last supper club, making the mad decision to leave my full-time job and pursue ‘this’ full time, launching a new website for my ceramics and trying to stay afloat in a social media whirlpool, I haven’t had much time to come up for air. Sadly, this meant my weekly recipe ramblings were the first thing to go. To atone for my sins, I am therefore sharing not one but two recipes in today’s newsletter, which I’ve enjoyed making with the arrival of autumn in the UK.

Butternut Squash, Sage and Taleggio Risotto

This recipe is something that I’ve been cooking and eating variations of for the best part of 20 years. I first tried it at a simple, home-cooked dinner in Umbria after a long, cold day walking in the hills. I remember being totally starving, and as I came into the kitchen inhaling a sweet cloud of butternut squash and slow-cooked rice. As we took our seats round the table, I marvelled at the last minute addition of taleggio, the lid going back onto the steaming pot as we waited, almost ceremonially, for the cheese to melt. It was, and still is to this day, one of the best risottos that I’ve ever eaten. I love the balance of the sweet squash with the nutty, slightly tangy hit of the taleggio cheese. It reminds me of crisp autumnal days, and is the most glorious orange colour. I’ve added crispy sage to this recipe, because squash x sage is heaven, and an optional sprinkling of fried pancetta (I cooked this most recently for Oscar, and he is a terrible carnivore).

Serves 4-5

for the risotto

2 small squash (400-600g each)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried sage

1 pinch salt

3 small shallots, finely diced

80g butter

250g arborio rice

1 litre good-quality vegetable stock, hot

150g taleggio, cubed

for the topping

2 tbsp olive oil

10 sage leaves

salt, to taste

80g diced pancetta (optional)

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Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C. Carefully half the squash and use a spoon to remove any seeds. Lay, round side down, on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil, followed by the dried sage and salt. Roast in the oven for 50 mins - 1 hr, until soft and browning at the edges.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed pan for which you have a lid, melt 50g of the butter over medium heat and gently fry the shallots, stirring regularly, until soft and glossy - about 10-15 minutes.

Add the rice and the remaining butter and stir briefly until coated in the butter. Add a couple of ladles of stock - enough to cover the rice - and simmer, stirring until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat with further additions of stock until it has all been absorbed (about 20 minutes). The rice should have a lovely creaming coating but still have a nice bite to it.

Stir through the cubed taleggio, remove the pan from the heat and cover with a lid.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan on medium heat until sizzling hot. Fry the sage leaves for 1-2 minutes, turning half way, until crisp and shrivelling at the edges. Season with salt and set the leaves aside on a paper towel.

In the same frying pan over medium heat, add the diced pancetta and fry for 5 minutes, or until gorgeously crispy.

The taleggio, meanwhile, should have melted through the risotto. Plate, followed by a sprinkling of sage, pancetta (if using) and a crack of black pepper.

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Radicchio, Butternut Squash and Almond Salad

In the spirit of squash season, with butternut, pumpkin and all their wonderful variations at their prime, my second recipe also revolves around squash. I usually pair radicchio with a fruit in my salads, but at this time of year the squash is so sweet that it cuts through the leaves’ bitterness in just the same way. I wanted to make this salad with hazelnuts, but I’d run out, so almonds had to do (and I’m so pleased that they did, as it meant I had some fun adding almond butter to the dressing). If it’s not considered pumpkin overkill, this salad would pair beautifully with the risotto recipe above.

Serves 4 as a side

1/2 butternut squash (about 500g)

1 tbsp olive oil

a pinch of flakey salt

20g almonds

1 small radicchio di chioggia

For the dressing

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp almond butter

1/2 tsp agave nectar

a large pinch of flakey salt

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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Peel and chop the squash into bite-size chunks. Spread in one layer on a baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil and salt and roast for about 35 minutes, until tender and golden at the edges. Leave to cool.

In a dry frying pan over medium heat, toast the almonds until smelling nutty and just catching at the edges. Coarsely grind in a pestle and mortar.

Gently peel back the leaves of the radicchio and place in a large salad bowl. Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and add to the radicchio, tossing well to coat the leaves.

Top with the butternut squash, toss the salad again for good luck, and finish with the ground almonds.

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Thank you so much for reading! If you liked the recipe (or the ramblings) I’d love to hear your feedback 💛and please do share the love using the link below.