Sweet Potato and Bacon Risotto

Pop the diced sweet potato onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer. TIP: Use two baking trays if necessary. When the oven is hot, roast on the top shelf until golden, 20-22 mins. Turn halfway through. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley (stalks and all). Pop the parsley and almonds into a bowl with the olive oil for the drizzle (see ingredients for amount). Mix together then set aside.

Meanwhile, pour the water for the stock (see ingredients for amount) into a medium saucepan on high heat. Add the chicken stock paste and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Pop your (now empty) frying pan back on medium-high heat. Add the bacon lardons. Stir-fry until golden, 4-5 mins. Add the onion and cook until softened, 4-5 mins. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 min more. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw meat. Cook lardons thoroughly.

Add the risotto rice to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Stir and cook until the edges of the rice are translucent, 1-2 mins. Add a ladle of your stock. When the stock has been absorbed by the rice, stir in another ladle of stock. Keep the pan on medium heat and continue stirring in stock, letting it absorb each time. The cooking time should take 20-25 mins and your risotto is done when your rice is ‘al dente’ - cooked through but with a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle. Stir the courgette into the risotto after 10 mins of cooking time.

Once the rice is cooked, gently stir through the cooked sweet potato. Mix in the butter (see ingredients for amount) and hard Italian style cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. TIP: Add a splash of water if needed.