Chicken & Butternut Squash Risotto

Preparation

• 1

  Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Cut the squash into roughly 3cm chunks. Toss with the oil and a pinch of salt on a baking tray. Roast for 30-40 minutes. Flipping halfway through, until golden all over. Remove from the oven and set aside.

• 2

  For the risotto, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a wide, deep pan over a medium heat. Add the sage leaves and let cook until darkened then remove to a plate and set aside for later.

• 3

  Add the diced chicken to the pan and let cook until browned all over and cooked through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

• 4

  Add the remaining ½ tbsp oil and the onion to the pan and cook until softened but not browned – around 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir occasionally for 2-3 minutes to toast it lightly. Pour in the wine and stir until it has been mostly absorbed.

• 5

  Turn the heat to medium-low and add the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring between additions and not adding any more stock until the previous addition has been absorbed. Continue until the rice is not chalky but is also not mushy. You may need more stock than the 750ml so just keep adding a bit at a time until the rice is properly cooked. Remove from the heat.

• 6

  Take ⅔ of the roasted squash and blitz it with the ricotta cheese and neutral whey protein until smooth (I use a hand blender but you can do it in a food processor or a blender). If you don’t have a blender, mash the ingredients together with a potato masher.

• 7

  Stir this puree into the cooked risotto. Taste the risotto and season with salt, as needed. Divide the butternut squash risotto between 4 bowls, topping with the remaining roasted squash, cooked chicken breast, crispy sage and shaved Parmesan, then serve.

• 1

  Enjoy!