As the mornings are crispier, the fog is thicker day by day I always feel that comfort food time has arrived. There’s nothing better than preheat the oven, waiting at the kitchen table with a cuppa to get warm and cosy. Smell the baked or fried vegetables, open up the jars full of fragrant seasonings like cinnamon, star anise, cloves and nutmeg. And then get ready and wait to gather at the table to test the result, and see the faces if they are happy with that.  This time a nice, creamy risotto was served with the sweetness of butternut squash and the aroma of fresh thyme. This is one my favourite comfort food. Have a look at how it looked like!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 butternut squash (small size)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil (or olive oil)
2 tbsp butter
200 gr arborio rice
1  leek
2 garlic cloves
200 ml dry white wine (preferably Chardonnay)
appr 1000 ml stock ( preferably chicken or vegetable stock )

2 tbsp very cold butter (diced)80 gr freshly grated pamesan
some sprigs of fresh thyme
salt

1. Clean the leek then slice finely. Heat the rapeseed oil in a frying pan, add the butter and heat on low until melted. Add the leek and sautee for a few minutes, but don’t let brown. Add the crushed garlic cloves, too. Stir occasionally don’t let be brown. 
2. Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a baking tray with kitchen foil and sprinkle with some oil. Peel the squash, discard the seeds. Dice evenly then put on the baking tray, and sprinkle with salt. Add some freshly chopped thyme leaves then  bake for 20-30 minutes or until get tender.
3. Meanwhile pour the stock into a pan and heat on low then gently simmer. 
4. Add the rice to vegs. Turn the heat on medium and stir frequently. When hot enough pour the wine into the pan. Take a step away to avoid burning. 
5. When the wine is absorbed add a ladle of hot stock then stir with a wooden spoon. Wait until the liquid is absorbed, it takes about 3-5 minutes. Then repeat the process until all the stock is gone, or the rice is cooked ‘al dente’. It takes usually up to 25-30 minutes. 
6. When the rice is cooked remove the pan from the hob. Stir the cold butter and parmesan in, stir well to melt properly  then keep warm until served. 
7. Pile the risotto on a plate then garnish the top with roasted squash. Serve immediately.