I was feeling under the weather tonight, and wanted something soothing for dinner. Risotto was the perfect solution. We experimented with a new combination of flavours - roast butternut squash, garlic and leek. V. good, easy and satisfying.

Heat the oven to 180C. Peel a butternut squash and cut the flesh into 1.5 cm cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Add several cloves of garlic, peeled and very roughly chopped, and roast a further 10 minutes. Finally, clean and trim three slender leeks, then cut into rounds about 1 cm thick. Toss the leeks in and roast for 10 more minutes or until everything is tender.

Meanwhile, make a risotto in the normal way (olive oil and butter, onion, 200g rice, vermouth/white wine, stock, stir stir stir....). When the rice is about two minutes away from being done, stir in the roast vegetables. Two minutes later, stir through a handful of chopped fresh sage, a knob of butter and some grated parmesan. Remove from the heat and set aside to rest, covered, for two minutes, then serve, with a sigh of pleasure.

23 November 2004