Baked Risotto with Chicken, Mushrooms & Squash

Risotto on a weeknight is made doable when its oven-baked.Ive chosen chicken and mushrooms to go with the classic fall flavour of squash, though this is a very flexible recipe and lends itself to many different interpretations.
Directions for: Baked Risotto with Chicken, Mushrooms & Squash

Ingredients

Roasted Squash

butternut or red kuri squash, peeled, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces (about 500g once peeled and de-seeded)

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme or Herbes de Provence

⅛ tsp flaky sea salt

⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Baked Risotto

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

500 g boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

100 g white mushrooms, finely sliced

1 cups (300g) Arborio rice

cup (120mL) white wine

4 cups (1L) warm chicken stock, more as needed

4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only, stems discarded

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

cup (60g) grated fresh Parmesan

Fresh thyme leaves

Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season

Directions

Roasted Squash

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and spread the squash pieces over the tray evenly. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with thyme or Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

3. Bake for 15 minutes, or until your risotto is ready to go in the oven, whatevers fastest, until squash is just starting to get tender. The squash will go back in the oven alongside the risotto and will finish cooking at the same time.

Baked Risotto

1. Heat oil in a large ovenproof dish or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until its just starting to get soft (remove from heat if garlic is browning).

2. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until beginning to brown. Mix in rice and stir to combine until the rice is glossy and coated in oil.

3. Add wine and cook until evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes, then add stock and thyme. Stir well.

4. Bring mixture to the boil, then cover, remove from the heat and place in the oven. Bake risotto in same oven as tray of squash for 25 minutes.

5. Remove risotto and tray of roasted squash from the oven. If the risotto is looking a little dry, add up to 120 mL warm chicken stock (you may need less), stirring until it's no longer dry. To the risotto, stir in the parmesan and lemon zest, followed by half of the roasted squash, stirring carefully (so it doesnt, well, get squashed!).

6. Serve the risotto immediately, topped with remaining roasted squash, salt, pepper and fresh thyme leaves.