Roasted pumpkin risotto with sage and parma ham

(Pretty sure that's the longest post title yet...) I recently found out that I really liked risotto, but I had never had much cause to try it before; disliking both mushrooms and seafood. Mushrooms and seafood being, of course, two of the most common ingredients in risotto, I set out to try and find some recipes that contained neither. This was the first risotto I'd actually made, and I was very pleased with how it came out. It makes a sophisticated and tasty end of week meal, tasting beautifully sweet with the occasional crispy delights of fried sage and ham... I could write menus, huh?

Pumpkin risotto
Prep time: 2 hrs
Serves: 4
Cooking temp: Gas 6, 200C
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
850g pumpkin, or similar squash like butternut
3 tbsp olive oil
20g butter or margarine
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
300g risotto rice
150ml dry white wine
1 1/4 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
50g Parmesan cheese
4 slices Parma ham
16 sage leaves
Pepper to season  

Method

1. Preheat the oven.
2. Peel, de-seed and cut the pumpkin into 2cm blocks. Instead of trying to use a peeler, jut chop of the tough outer skin.
   
3. On a separate chopping board, chop the onion into thin slices and finely chop the garlic cloves. In a small bowl, grate the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
   
4. Put the pumpkin in a large roasting tray and drizzle over 1 tbsp of the oil. Season well (with pepper and no salt, I'd suggest, as the parma ham adds plenty later on) and shake the tin to evenly distribute the chunks. Roast for 30 minutes until tender and turning golden, and soft enough to mash. Move onto the next steps whilst you wait.
   
5. Heat another tbsp of the oil and half the butter in a large, heavy-based deep frying pan. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook over a low heat for 8 minutes until they begin to soften.
   
6. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice, coating it with the oil and butter. Cook for 2 minutes until the grains begin to turn translucent.
   
7. Add the wine, which should sizzle as it hits the pan, and simmer for a minute. (You can be making up the stock in this time, in a large measuring jug).
8. Add a ladlefull of the stock to the pan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon until absorbed. Once the ladlefull has been absorbed, add another and continue to do this, waiting until each has been soaked up before pouring in the next.
   
9. After 20 or so minutes, once most the stock has been added, the rice should be al dente - if it's too firm, add some more stock and cook for several more minutes. Move on, leaving the rice on a very low heat. By now, you might have to check on the pumpkin.
10. Heat a dry frying pan until hot, and add the parma ham. Cook until crisp. Cool it on a small plate and chop into smaller pieces.
    
11. Heat the remaining tbsp of oil in the pan and add the sage leaves. Fry over a medium heat for a minute until they begin to crisp and smell nicely.
    
12. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the cheese and the remaining half of butter. 
    
13. Mash a third of the pumpkin with a fork and stir through the risotto.
14. Serve the risotto topped with the rest of the pumpkin, some shavings of Parmesan, crispy parma ham and the sage. Season to taste, and enjoy.