Rachel Phipps says: “Every time I have butternut squash in the fridge this is the thing I want to make the most. It is basically one big – rather elegant – autumnal hug in a bowl.

“If this is your first time making risotto, don’t panic, it’s really easy. Take cooking times with a pinch of salt and gradually add the stock until you’re happy with the consistency. I’ve included measurements and timings here but, depending on how hot your hob is, and the size and thickness of your pan, you might need more or less stock than that. It’s okay to add more if your rice still has a bit too much bite to it. Once you’ve made a couple of risottos, you’ll know what works best.”

Serves 2

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients

unsalted butter
1 small onion
150g butternut squash, grated
100g butternut squash, cubed
150g risotto rice
100ml (6 tbsp) dry white wine
800ml hot vegetable stock
15g (3 tbsp) parmesan shavings (make sure you use a vegetarian version if this matters to you), plus extra to serve
½ tbsp fresh sage
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat a knob of butter in a shallow casserole dish or large frying pan over a medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onion and gently fry it, along with a good pinch of sea salt, for roughly 5 minutes until it has softened and darkened in colour, but has not yet started to brown.

Add both the grated and cubed squash and cook for a further 15 minutes until the grated squash is tender and the cubes have started to soften.

Stir in the risotto rice and cook for another couple of minutes until the rice is hot.

Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir in the white wine and allow to bubble away. Add a ladle of the hot stock and again allow it to bubble away, stirring every few minutes. Keep going for 35–40 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

Stir in the Parmesan and another small knob of butter, then season to taste with more salt and pepper. Stir in the sage just before serving in two warm bowls topped with a little more cheese.

From One Pan Pescatarian: 100 Delicious Dinners – Veggie, Vegan, Fish by Rachel Phipps (£20, Hodder & Stoughton), out now

Risotto recipes: 3 comforting dishes to get you in the mood for autumn