- 2 pattipan squash
- 35g sun dried tomatoes
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200g heirloom tomatoes
- 200g risotto rice
- 35g walnuts
- A handful of thyme, leaves only
- 1 lemon
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 45g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 500ml boiling water
- Baking tray
- Heatproof measuring jug
- Large pan with a lid
- Frying pan
- Food processor
- 1.
Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Halve the pattipan squash and chop into 2cm-thick chunks (you can eat the skin, so no need to peel). Tumble the squash onto a baking tray. Drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Slide into the oven and roast for 30 mins till golden and softened. Toss halfway through.
- 2.
While the squash roasts, finely slice the sun dried tomatoes. Pop them in a jug. Crumble in the stock cube. Pour in 500ml boiling water, stir and set aside to let the tomatoes to soften.
- 3.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and crush 1 garlic clove. Roughly chop half the heirloom tomatoes. Heat a large pan for 2 mins. Drizzle in ½ tbsp olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 mins, stirring, till softened. Add the garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook for 3 mins till the tomatoes have broken down a little.
- 4.
Tip the risotto rice into the pan and stir. Pour in the sun dried tomatoes and stock. Stir, turn the heat to low and pop on a lid. Very gently cook for 20 mins, till the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir every now and then, adding a little more water if necessary.
- 5.
While the risotto is cooking, make the walnut pesto. Set a dry frying pan on the heat. Add the walnut halves and toast for 2-3 mins till slightly darkened and fragrant Tip onto a chopping board and cool for a few mins, then finely chop them.
- 6.
Pull the leaves from the thyme stalks. Peel and grate the remaining garlic clove. Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice. Add everything to a bowl with ½ tbsp olive oil and some seasoning. You can also pop everything into a food processor, if you have one, and pulse for a smoother pesto.
- 7.
Halve or quarter the remaining heirloom tomatoes, depending on size. Chop the spinach.
- 8.
Remove the squash from the oven. Taste the risotto. The rice should be soft with a slight bite. Season, if you think it needs it. Tip in most of the squash and all the spinach. Add the butter. Stir and pop on the lid for 1 min, to wilt the spinach.
- 9.
Spoon the risotto into warm bowls. Top with the remaining squash, the heirloom tomatoes and a spoonful of the walnut pesto. Cut the lemon half into wedges and squeeze over to taste. Serve straight away.
