Risotto alla Zucca with Amaretti Crumble

Preheat oven to 200°C (fan 180°C). Peel and cube the butternut squash into roughly 2 cm pieces. Toss with half the olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast 25 minutes until the edges caramelise. Once slightly cooled, mash about one-third of the roasted cubes to a rough purée; leave the rest whole.

While the squash roasts, pour the vegetable stock into a small saucepan and keep it at a gentle simmer over the lowest heat. It must stay hot throughout the risotto cook — cold stock shocks the starch and stalls even absorption.

In a wide, heavy-based pan (at least 24 cm), melt 30 g of the butter with the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until completely soft and translucent. Do not let them colour.

Add the rice and stir for 1–2 minutes until each grain is coated in fat and the edges start to look translucent. This light toasting improves the final texture.

Pour in the white wine and stir continuously until fully absorbed, about 60 seconds.

Begin adding warm stock one ladleful (roughly 100 ml) at a time, stirring frequently and waiting until each addition is almost fully absorbed before adding the next. Maintain a steady medium heat — the risotto should be actively but gently bubbling.

After 10 minutes of stock additions, stir in the roasted squash cubes and squash purée. Continue adding stock and stirring for a further 12–15 minutes until the rice is al dente — tender with a slight bite at the centre. The mixture should be loose and flowing, not stiff.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the remaining 50 g cold butter in small pieces along with the Parmigiano. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon — or grip the pan handles and give it rapid back-and-forth shakes — until the butter emulsifies into a silky, cohesive sauce. This is mantecatura. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Cover and rest for 2 minutes. When you tilt the pan, the risotto should flow in a gentle wave (all'onda). If it has stiffened, stir in a splash of hot stock to loosen.

In a small frying pan, melt a small knob of butter over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the sage leaves and fry for 30–40 seconds until crisp. Remove immediately.

Serve the risotto in wide warm bowls. Top each portion with crispy sage leaves and a generous crumble of amaretti broken coarsely with your hands — not pounded to powder. Serve immediately.