Day 315: a new veg box stalwart

It’s true to state that this cookalong has introduced our tastebuds, and, in turn, our weekly menus, to lots of wonderful and delicious things. Things we tried for the first time and fell in love with (anchovies take first prize here) and things we used to eat with little enthusiasm but then fell in love with once educated on how to cook with them and bring out their best (often in the simplest ways). Today is about about something that falls into the latter.

I reckon pre-365DoN, I bought maybe one of these a year, maybe made a soup from it that I never really, really enjoyed (you know what I mean?), and now 2-3 large fresh ones grace our table in some form or other each week in all their deep orange-fleshed, beige-shelled glory. Of course, I’m talking about the humble butternut squash here; the latest veg-box stalwart chez nous. I could bowlfuls of it, simply cubed and roasted in golden rapeseed oil with ground ginger, ground mace and sea salt flakes. Today, for Day 315, it took the form of Nigella’s Butternut Orzotto: a deeply gorgeous, seasonally beautiful and delicious serving of nubbly carbs.

Nigella’s Butternut Orzotto

I love the fact minimal stove-time is required for this one; for some reason, beyond me, finding twenty minutes to stand and stir - especially right before dinner - has become almost impossible of late. (Might have something to do with three gremlins crashing about the house the second they hear a pan or pot clank on the metal grating on the hob, demanding the toilet and interrogating me repeatedly about what I’m doing, making it nigh-on impossible to give a risotto the attentive love and care it needs).

I’m reheating this tonight with a little more mascarpone, stock, double cream, dry white vermouth and parmesan.

The recipe for this one can be found in Nigella Christmas.