Roasted Butternut & Sage Risotto with Pine Nuts, Parmesan & Pancetta

This photo does the meal no justice at all! It is utterly delicious. One of my favourite meals of all time.

You need;

1 Butternut Squash

Few Sage leaves

3 Garlic cloves (skin on)

Risotto rice

Stock

Wine ( I had red)

Parmesan (1/3 pack)

Pine nuts (1 pack)

Pancetta

Slice the squash in half lengthways, scoop out the seeds and then cut each half into quarters lengthways again. 

Place in a roasting tray with the sage leaves, garlic cloves and toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a hot oven (about 200*c) for about 30 minutes until soft and coloured up a bit.

Use a hand blender and blend up everything, including the skin of the squash which is perfectly edible, just pop the garlic out of the skins first.

Add the grated parmesan and blend further. It then occurred to me that if I blended in the pine nuts it would make a super pesto paste. So I toasted a whole packet of pine nuts in a dry frying pan, and blended in three quarters of them (leaving enough to garnish).
Meanwhile fry off the pancetta.
And make a plain white risotto base (adding wine then stock slowly to the risotto rise). When the rice is nearly done add as much of the squash paste as you desire (depends on how much rice you have and how strong a flavour you want).
Serve with a sprinkle of pancetta, parmesan and some of the whole pine nuts.

I have enough of the paste left over to use it in something else. So I put it in a jar and covered with olive oil so it will keep longer in the fridge. I think it will be just as good with some nice pasta - maybe some homemade Papperdelle? I may try it in combination with some wild mushrooms or maybe some chilli to give it some attitude!